


Tears Of Blood

by BestRobinEvr, Vera_lemur



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Under the Red Hood
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, M/M, Roleplay Logs, Suicidal Thoughts, Violence, non-consensual assisted suicide attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-06
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-01-14 18:10:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 62,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1276003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BestRobinEvr/pseuds/BestRobinEvr, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vera_lemur/pseuds/Vera_lemur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This one is full of angst and pain and characters can be OOC from the comics because we are messing with their heads and emotions like no other. This is meant to be a bit fucked up but it has a good plot. This IS an RP that we are working on and wanted to share. Though its an RP it is written like a fic. We got gangs, drugs, violence, minor character deaths, dysfunctional family issues, and more.</p><p>TRIGGER WARNING! Mentions and thoughts of self harming and suicide! All aboard the Angst Express!</p><p>Jason is played by Vera_lemur and Tim is played by BestRobinEvr. Other characters are shared and passed around at our leisure.</p><p>Plot: A gang war is brewing in Gotham and dead bodies are popping up all over. Tim and Jason decide to work the case together especially since Jason can tell Tim is in no condition to do this on his own. He's running on next to no sleep, has a GSW, and its a wonder he'd still going at it but Tim is barely scraping by and ready to snap. Can Jason save him in time or will it be too late to save Tim from his greatest foe, himself?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Promise me... or else

**Author's Note:**

> TRIGGER WARNING! Mentions and thoughts of self harming and suicide! All aboard the Angst Express!
> 
> Jason is played by Vera_lemur and Tim is played by BestRobinEvr. Other characters are shared and passed around at our leisure.
> 
> This is an RP Vera and I wrote and we are choosing to leave in in that format. '~~~~' separates each tag, this is the least jarring way we can separate it. We know it switches back and forth in POVs but again I say its an RP. We hope you love it.

This was the seventh dead body in the last three weeks.

Marbee Juan. A downtown girl looking to go up in the world by being in beauty pageants. On the surface she was just a girl. A bitch according to anyone who knew her but Tim doubted she deserved a death like this.

The MO was similar but like the others varied in a few ways. This girl had her tongue cut out and eye’s removed antemortem, signs of sexual assault, and had her head smashed in.

Feliciano Bertinelli, a large man belonging to the mob family Bertinelli originally but had since left and joined the Serpientes Cabeza’s. He had been tied to a chair, beaten and stabbed with a rusted pipe 87 times. Tongue cut out postmortem. As far as Helena could tell him he was dating Marbee and she was his runner, though what they were running Huntress wasn’t sure.

Max Hamilton, originally from the UK, small and wirely had his eyes cut out, beaten and stabbed with a  
blade of some sort. The weapon had yet to be found. Max was the shipping and handling of the operation

Nancy Thang, a small girl of asian descent was found in the same area as Hamilton with the same wounds. Nancy was a known associate of Max’s and worked with the same shipping lines and boats. 

Jan and Josie Argon were the overseas part of the operation. Buying and selling from and to Feliciano. They’d been found together at the docks missing a few limbs as well as their tongues. 

Andrew Tone had been an informant and deep undercover for the Commissioner. Gordon hadn’t been happy about it and he could understand why. He’d been the first victim. Eye’s and tongue removed antemortem. They all suspected someone had caught on to him and killed him for it, till the others popped up.

The one thing besides the violence, removal of eye’s or tongue, and gang relation to the Serpientes Cabeza’s was a drug found in their systems. Always given antemortem and always the same drug. 

The lab results would be finished in a few hours. Hopefully that would lead him to the supplier. 

Tim stood on the roof of an insurance building in fifth, just thinking as he watched the populace below. It was 3:49 am. ‘Jason should be here any minute.’ He had the folder with the files on Jan and Josie Argon in his hand. Last time he’d visited Babs he’d heard her mention Jason was after them and after information on them. 

Tim and Jason were on good terms these days. Much like him and Damian were. At some point Damian had just stopped attacking him verbally and physically, though there were still plenty of comments from the brat but none of them harsh or mean. He wasn’t entirely sure what changed the kid’s mind on him but he suspected it was the whole mess over Captain Boomerang. Bruce had exploded over it and Damian was witness to it all. Bruce had said he’d expected more out of Tim. Tim guessed Damian was pissed Bruce hadn’t expected that out of him when he killed Nobody. Whether it was a justified kill or not, Bruce’s rule still stood... for everyone except Damian. Tim guessed the kid saw the double standard and how harsh the others were treated compared to him. 

Dick just seemed to be happy they were getting along. Even if Tim wasn’t really talking to Dick much these days. His and Dick’s relationship was almost as strained as his and Bruce’s. 

Tim thought about leaving the folder with Babs to give to Jason but she always seemed to be too busy as it was. Cass and Steph weren’t even in the country. They were off taking on Hong Kong and getting their lives together. The last thing he wanted was to interfere with that. So he left them alone and gave them their space. 

Which just left him to give the information to Jason. He sighed, Jason wasn’t going to be happy his leads to Santiago were murdered. 

Santiago was the leader to the Sangre Fuego gang and rivals with Serpientes Cabeza. Santiago had gone missing about a month ago and the Serpientes Cabeza had started showing up dead on his doorstep. It was a shaky theory and there was no proof, in fact all evidence lead to a third party, but Tim had his doubts.  
~~~~  
Jason rolled his shoulders, not quite yet used to the new back harness configuration for his spare clips of ammo. It would settle to his new norm, he knew but for the moment it made familiar things like riding his motorcycle down Gotham’s streets feel awkward. His eyes ached in that familiar way that told him he shouldn’t take another pair of his home made “pep up” pills. It was right around that time for some actual sleep before his aim started faltering. Either way, he would empty at least two clips each down his practice range. Maybe more, if he could catch a break on his latest ‘case.’

It was probably a sign of true insanity to try and base a drug and human trafficking ring in GOTHAM of all places. Sure, the gothic, close knit buildings and constant cloud cover made for fantastic ambiance for shady dealings, there was always the threat of the Bat in the night or his little posse. And that was only if they got lucky. 

Jason had no qualms about using firearms (though the live ammo had been replaced with rubber bullets), and barring Damian’s earlier career he was the most violent of Gotham’s masked (anti)hero roster. It was the god that lived in those details, and it was a young god yet.

He had at least, calmed down from his dramatic return to life and gotham in a puddle of bullet casings and blood. There was a lot of blood on his hands, most of it he didn’t regret, beyond the growing wedge it caused between himself and Bruce. Jason executed a reckless hairpin turn, hearing the material of his pants scrape pavement as he leaned into the turn to avoid passing cars.

His relationship with Bruce could be described as a love hate relationship on a good day. On a good day he loved Bruce, understood him, but differed in his schools of thought and hated that he was so totally rebuffed for not falling in line. On bad days Bruce was seventeen kinds of fucking crazy, and an insufferably stubborn idiot besides. On bad days Jason deliberately steered farther than normal away from where the Bat and Brat Wonder were for fear he might beat the man senseless.

It was unclear what kind of day this was so far. Jason was more concerned with the intel he was going to get from Tim. Jason was TIRED of being on the outside looking in and chasing the tails of this damn operation. It made him long for the Bat Cave and the super computer, and then get annoyed at himself for it. It was just so damn difficult getting a lead in. Once he was in he was sure he could topple the whole dirty business easily enough.

Thinking on some of the things these assholes were up to, drugs, torture, slavery, which would be more than enough for Jason not to lose sleep over maiming the top brass in THIS scheme… but all the kids… Jason thought to the live clips in his boots, and it was tempting. If even half of what he feared was true...  
~~~~  
Santiago was a bad guy if there ever was one and Juan Marquez was just as bad. Juan ran the Serpientes Cabeza out of several countries in South America. Santiago and his Sangre Fuego had been on the rise and were looking to take over. Everyone knew that. He really didn’t put it past Juan to do something about the competition.

It was the third party that was bugging him though. ‘Who are they, what’s in it for them?’

Tim’s thoughts drifted. He was tired. He wondered when he slept last. It wasn’t something he was keeping track of anymore. There were a lot of things he wasn’t keeping track of any more like his friends. Even after Bruce came back he really hadn’t seen or talked to the Titans. Not after Cassie sicked Dick on him for thinking Bruce was still alive. He knew how that’d looked, he’d just expected his ‘friends’ to at least hear him out. He wasn’t angry about it, it just felt hard to talk to them. 

His mind wandered from his friends to his surroundings. ‘Ten stories high. It would take 2.5 seconds to reach the ground without a grapple. 80 feet per second. 2.5 seconds... a lot can happen in that time. Would there be a line nearby? 2.5 seconds. hmm. Collision and speed of impact... the force might not be reached. Its survivable possibly. Depending on how one fell... anything but head first is survivable.’ He really hated waiting.  
~~~~  
Sangre Fuego. Santiago. Hopefully Tim handed him a pretty lead tonight. Jason was getting impatient. He pulled up to the meeting place and knew without being told that Tim was on the roof. It was a Bat thing. He parked his bike, engaged it’s securities and pulled out one of his two fully functional Grappling hooks. The others all needed maintenance of one kind or another. Jason swung himself onto the ninth floor’s fire escape landing and climbed the last floor and ladder as quick and quiet as a church mouse.

Meaning he was making JUST enough noise to tell Tim he’d showed up without stomping up and down the flimsy metal stairway. Church Mice were nothing compared to the silence of a stalking former robin.  
~~~~  
‘Finally.’ He thought. Tim had been early so it was his own fault for the wait but it was usually best to be early or on time with Jason. Late gave the man time to play. He was thankful Jason damn near announced his presence. He was getting paranoid with all the ninja sneaking around. Ras just didn’t give up. 

“Hey.” Tim walked over and held out the file. “Want the rundown or you wanna read it your self?” Tim wasn't trying to be snippy he was just getting used to the ‘hand over whatever you’ve got and go’ treatment he’d been getting from everyone lately.  
~~~~  
“Someone pee in your cereal babybird?” Jason asked, removing his helmet to reveal a red domino and a raised eyebrow. “Hey. You look to have gotten about as much sleep as I have.” Jason commented neutrally. Why did he have the feeling that he was going to be about the extent of Tim’s weekly quota of small talk this week? “And I’m all for a rundown. As I recall, you keep your reports a shade dryer than even B.”  
~~~~  
It was a talent of Jason’s to make his eyebrow raise and grin at the same time. He really hadn’t meant to be that snippy and the least he could do is be polite to the one of two people who still talked to him. He huffed a laugh, “Sorry. Its how B liked em, guess I just got used to it. I’ll try to spice it up for you next time.”

Tim looked around surveying the area. “Its Jan and Josie Argon. I heard you were looking for intel on them to get to Santiago. Their bodies were found on the docks missing a few limbs... and their tongues.” He shrugged, he was sure it said something that he was used to that. “They were killed by the same group that killed five others from Serpientes Cabeza. Though one turned out to be an undercover. It’s not any of Santiago’s people. All the evidence points to a third party but I suspect they are somehow connected.”  
~~~~  
Jason flipped through the leaflet, he got to the autopsy records and stopped. “The tox screen.” He trailed off, flipping from Mr. Argon to Mrs. The same. “Firebloods’ have been running this crap all over Gotham.” ‘And worse, but don’t go spreading that until you confirm the rumors Todd.’ Jason thinks to himself. “Will scum never learn to stay outta our town?” He flipped the leaflet closed. “Damn, so much for my lead to Santiago, this shit is ridiculous.”  
~~~~  
“Wait... Are you SURE it’s them? That Santiago’s supplying the drug?” Tim’s sleep deprived brain was running a million miles a minute trying to piece it together. “The Argon’s are only two of seven dead bodies I have pumped with this drug. All of them working for Serpientes Cabeza.” Tim bit his lip and started pacing the roof. He needed to think. He needed a redbull or some caffeine pills. His brain wasn’t working like he wanted it to. 

“If Santiago is supplying the drug we might be able to follow the shipments.” He mumbled trying to think out loud, sometimes it was easier that way. “Find one shipment and we can trace it back to the origin point and nail Santiago for it, follow it forward and we could find this third party. But we need a shipment, where would we find a shipment? We’d have to find the dock Santiago was using. Maybe the south side... I don’t cover the south side...Jason covers the south side...”  
~~~~  
“Who… happens to be standing four feet away from you, listening to every word you say.” Jason said slowly. “Forget I was here already, Babybird?” ‘Wouldn’t be the first bat to do that to me.’ Jason inwardly winced at his internalized bitterness. “So what are the names? Maybe I have some of the same names.” Failed leads that coalesce into one viable possible lead? Still time well spent. “And if they’re bringing in the drugs I don’t know if it’s through the docks. Firebloods have gone to ground. I’ve been turning to their Rivals to try and get leads on them, and the ones that I try to get to talk to me find a way to get dead.”

Sorta how Tim was looking under the Domino. Jason stared hard at Tim. Tim might need sleep more than Jason did at the moment. Zombies looked more lively than Tim did right at the moment. Jason would know, he’d fought and killed the stuff before. He maintained the majority of his attention on Tim and the other boy’s body language.  
~~~~  
“What? uh sorry.” He quickly listed the names, dates of death, locations found, and list of wounds and missing parts. He read it straight from the report in his head. Having an eidetic memory could be helpful a lot of the time though it did have its awful downside of perfectly detailed nightmares and haunting memories. 

At some point he’d stopped pacing simply because he was just too tired to keep it up. “All victims were found to have that drug in their system.”  
~~~~  
Three. Aside from the Argons, THREE of his names were names Tim rattled off as being killed in his murder spree. Andrew Tone… Jason hadn’t sought him out as a contact, he stank of cop to Jason and he’d left well enough alone on that one. The Gotham PD were still looking to catch him and he didn’t need some deep cover cop giving them unnecessary information on him. “Who the heck is Marbee Juan?” Jason asked, noting that Tim seemed to quickly run out of pacing steam, and was ever so slightly swaying. Jason waited until he he would hear what he needed to know about Marbee. He had a theory he needed to test.  
~~~~  
“Feliciano Bertinelli’s running partner and girlfriend.” he stated matter of factly. “She’s got quite the rep for being a ‘cold hearted evil bitch’. That’s a direct quote by th-”  
~~~~  
Jason, having heard enough about Marbee, suddenly shifted to a defensive pose while looking off to a point past Tim’s right shoulder, his hand drifting to the gun at his hip.  
~~~~  
“-e way, from her cousin.” Tims attention snapped behind him at Jason’s shift and readied himself for an attack from behind him.  
~~~~  
Jason grabbed Tim’s face and blew a raspberry into the other’s cheek. After the gulp of air he’d sucked in was expended he used more air he didn’t have to chuckle some. “We need some serious sleep, you and I.”  
~~~~  
“What the hell...?” Tim stared at the crazy man holding his face in complete confusion. ‘Who the hell, besides Dick, does that?’ It then occurred to him that Jason basically grew up with the acrobat and did share more than a few of his lighthearted qualities.  
~~~~  
Jason chuckled, releasing Tim. “Yeah, that was a dumb idea, but it just goes to show you how much -I- Need sleep. But let’s talk about you, who’s so damn tired you let me get away with it.” Jason grinned. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll sleep if you sleep, sound good?” The ache behind his eyes rejoiced, though it’s glee fell on deaf ears. Jason was all too used to ignoring himself in the interim.  
~~~~  
“Yeah sure ok.” He shook his head. He was learning a lot about Jason in recent times. Them working together was usually nice when Jason felt like being sociable or simply wasn’t in a violent mood. He wasn’t trying to shrug off the request, he’d get sleep... eventually, he just had a lot on his mind and a lot to do. Patrol wasn’t even over yet.

‘I wonder what Santiago’s ground transport is, I need to figure that out. Trains are an option. Maybe trucks. I’ll have to find an in. I could head to south side and stake it out for a bit. There might be a lead or something, someone to get ahold of for answers.’  
~~~~  
Jason blinked, recognizing when he’d been dismissed quite easily after years of Bruce brushing him off like so much dust. It pissed him off how much like the old asshole Tim was starting to turn out. Tim was BETTER than Bruce. Could be better than all of them. Lately though Jason was starting to see the fundamental difference between Tim Drake and Bruce Wayne was that Tim didn’t force himself to be alone. He was seeing it in all the little ways that Tim was previously different from Bruce, and slowly becoming the same.

“You know, I feel like I owe you money, cause I’ve never been blown off so completely that fast before.” Jason said, eyes narrowing. “Only, I don’t carry money in uniform.”  
~~~~  
It took a second for Jason’s comment to register but when it did it was like dropping in to the freezing waters of Gotham Bay, it hurt. The cold sinking feeling of guilt woke him up pretty quick and his mind struggle to think of how to fix what he did. 

This would be easier if he was less socially awkward. “I-I’m sorry!” He shook his head discarding every comment coming to mind and giving up just to offer what he could and accept the fallout. “I didn’t- I didn’t mean that...”  
~~~~  
“Didn’t mean to basically disregard my health and yours.” Jason said flatly, thinking of Bruce and triple and quadruple all nighters where it was amazing to Jason how the man didn’t fall over dead without goons fucking shooting at him… And he was all too able to see Tim pulling the drunken master weave through gunfire. It scared him. “I swear you’re picking up on his worst habits. I have a safehouse. The Serenity on Elm. Room 1708. If you’re not there by sunrise so we can ensure we both get sleep, I will find you and I will drop you wherever you are. So help me.”  
~~~~  
Mouth twitching into a small almost not there smile he nodded seriously. He knew Jason meant his threats a good 75% of the time. Besides the last thing he wanted to do was piss off one of the few people still in his life that was still talking to and caring about him. 

“Serenity on Elm, 1708. Got it.” He wanted to say he was sorry again, maybe reach out in someway, but he squashed it down. The last thing he needed was to make this worse somehow in that magically ‘fuck shit up’ way he had. ‘Touch it and you’ll destroy it, Tim.’  
~~~~  
Jason nodded, his ever bubbling anger quickly cooling off once again in the presence of someone he couldn’t actually stay mad at. “Stop giving me ammo to tell you off, Babybird. You’ve always been better at this Robin thing than I have. It’s just weird when I have to be the mentor.” Jason ruffled Tim’s hair and turned to leave the roof. “We’ll talk more about our cases after we wake up, deal?” Jason looked over his shoulder.  
~~~~  
“I’ll do my best. You are older than me, not by much, but older.” Tim felt a bit of the weight lifting at the hair ruffle, felt nice to know Jason wasn’t going to hold this against him. For a moment he imagined that this might have been what it might have been like if Jason hadn’t died and he’d become Robin. Would they be close? Would they joke around and smile? It was a strange thought.

“Deal.” He watched Jason walk away. He always watched the man walk away, usually till he couldn’t see him anymore.  
~~~~  
“With age comes wisdom isn’t a universal constant, trust me on this one.” Jason said gauging the heights of the surrounding buildings and calculating the angles he had to work with. “You either got it and work constantly to build on it, or you got it and think it’s enough which just proves you wrong, or you don’t got it and pretend you do.”  
~~~~  
“Pffft, Thank you Obi Wan. Is that your tip for the night?” Tim grins watching Jason work.  
~~~~  
Jason gave Tim one last grin before putting his helmet back on, “Hardly! This is.” With that Jason leaned over the side of the building, essentially tipping himself over, and pushed off between the two close buildings, executing eight of his favorite airborne flips that Dick had taught him before landing in a roll in front of his bike, dusting himself off, and straddling his bike and taking off into the night. He’d left the file with Tim, on purpose of course, because Tim would have one more reason to stop by his safe house before sunrise.  
~~~~  
Folding and stuffing the file back into a pocket compartment he backflipped off the roof, half just for the fun of it and half in echo of Jason and shot a line. He had a group of drug runners he’d been watching and hopefully he’d get lucky and get what he needed quickly tonight.


	2. GSW and I told you so

5:28 am

He fell against the dirty brick of the building. Pain shooting through his side as the impact jarred his bullet wound. ‘Whoever gave those drug dealers armor piercing rounds is seriously going to regret his life choices when I find him.’ 

Two hours and fifteen minutes later he had said weapons dealer unconscious and in custody. Gordon met him on the scene. Using his cape to cover himself in typical bat fashion he gave the man the rundown and evidence before disappearing into the night. Gordon was a good man and probably knew something was off, if the look he gave Tim was any indication.

He wasn’t too worried. The bullet went straight through and he'd applied a wound sealing powder to slow the bleeding. Usually the powder stops the bleeding altogether but the wound was just too big and was bleeding too much to simply stop. 

After an hour and a half of stumbling through alleys and another forty-five minutes to climb the damn fire escape and crawl through the window he was finally in his safe house on seventh. The space was really just a tiny crap apartment, a medical, clean up, and snack stop. It didn’t even have any furniture only soap, two towels in the bathroom, and a small amount of clothes.. He sat on the kitchen floor with the med kit to stitch his bullet wound. He didn’t think the bullet hit anything so that was a plus. Covering the area with gauze he sighed, leaning against the stove that he’d never used. The pain meds were kicking in nicely. 

He really wasn't sure how long he sat there, just staring at the cupboard doors under the sink. Mind as blank and empty as the feeling inside his chest, till the feeling returned and his mind supplied everything he did wrong that night. 

‘B would be so disappointed. He get that look and say nothing till we got to the cave. Of course Dick would be there to hear it all. Bruce just laying out all my mistakes. I hate that look. The one they all get. All I do is mess up.

I went in too quick... I should have been faster... Taken the guy in the left first... I did it all wrong...

At least no one was there to see me mess up. I wish someone had been there. I wish someone was here. Why is this place so big? Its so empty. Like me. 

It’s good they weren’t there. I would have just gotten them hurt or worse. I couldn’t do that to them. What if I really messes up and someone died? No, no. I can’t. It’s better like this. They’re safe. I can’t hurt them. 

I hate being alone...’

An alarm blares at him from his suit. ‘I have a meeting in 30 minutes, crap I have to go.’ Somehow, Tim’s not sure how, he gets up and ready for work and out the door after cleaning everything up. 

He’s late to the meeting, figures. He can’t even get to work on time.   
~~~~  
There is a certain kind of angry that Jason has to achieve before he considers doing something extremely stupid. He hit that a few hours ago. At about 9 am when there was no question that Tim had blown him off. After about an hour of fuming and a quick email asking where the third Robin was to Barbara, Jason was putting on his third best semi casual button up shirt and vest with matching belt and shoes. He put some wash out dye in the white streak in his hair, threw in green colored contacts and applied what makeup he could to his face and hand scars. Medium smoke Gray pants and vest with slightly darker accents over a light blue button up long sleeve shirt with Medium blue, green and white silk tie. To complete the look Jason took a simple ring and put it on his left ring finger, and grabbed a black leather briefcase that only looked half so good because he’d restored the old beat up thing so well. He’d coordinated it with his black shoes which had taken twenty minutes of solid polishing to get up to snuff and a silver wrist watch that didn’t work, but was still quite functional.

Jason Todd walked in, Jacket over the arm carrying his briefcase and moved without asking for directions to Tim Drake’s secretary. He was sure that Tim didn’t call her title secretary. Probably something closer to personal assistant or Office manager or some equal opportunity bullshit title that just basically translated to a secretary. He asked to see Mr. Drake, and was told that Tim was in a meeting. ‘Of course he is, the little shit.’ He thought as he turned his charm up to eleven and said with all the manners of the british government, that he would be happy to wait.

And so Jason sat, waiting for Tim to emerge from his meeting. Oh, he would see Jason, recognize him at the barest glance. Let the little snot recognize him. He’d barely taken any effort into hiding himself. Batsie probably already knew he was in Wayne Tower. Tim would doubtless try to run, to dodge him.

But that’s what the watch was for, wasn’t it?  
~~~~  
The meeting was long. He hated long meetings but it was over budget issues and trying to approve the new budget which the company sorely needed. After Bruce’s disappearance and the company falling solely to him, a lot of changes were forced to be made. Tam Fox was a ton of help though. Her title of personal assistant did not do her job description justice. Her father, Lucius Fox helped where he could but it just seemed they were really running the company, in Tim’s opinion. Lucius was doing his best to speed the meeting along but there was really only so much speed one could put on a budget meeting. 

His attention strayed as he got progressively tired, the energy drinks not doing much in the way of keeping him awake, more just battling the side effects of the pain meds. 

The end of the meeting was a blessing and a curse. Standing found him a bit lightheaded but being a bat meant covering that which he refused to do otherwise. He’d already messed up today he didn't need to add to it. The true part of the cure came when he left the meeting to find Jason waiting for him. The realization that Jason had been serious was a heavy one. He went straight to Tam. It would be best to avoid a confrontation here in front of everyone.   
~~~~  
“Mister Drake! A quick moment of your time.” Jason said, just one shade too many of a plastic business smile on his face. He stood with ease despite having sat in the chair offered to him by Tam Fox well over an hour ago and was moving at speed to meet Tim halfway. Jason held out a hand to shake, “Two minutes is all I need Mister Drake, I know your time is quite valuable.” There was a quirking of his eyebrow that would take a magnifying glass to pinpoint. He knew Tim would see it.  
~~~~  
‘So much for that plan. Face the consequences, Tim.’ Jason’s eyebrow could either be a dare, challenge, or a threat. He was having a hard time figuring out which though. He took Jason’s hand in a good business grip complete with smile. Whatever Jason was going to do, it was sure to happen in an office or in the hall. ‘Best to play along and get this into my office, so its not public.’ 

“Sure. I know we had a previous meeting planned, but I’m sure you understand circumstances change quite quickly around here. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to make it. Lets go to my office. What can I do for you?”   
~~~~  
“In regards to the previous meeting time,” Jason tapped his watch, “I must have gotten the time wrong, I’m afraid my battery died on me.”  
~~~~  
A quick sharp prick of a needle. He was sure of it. His smile and the facade dropped just as fast. “Jay... what did-” That’s when he felt it. The effects. It felt like his whole body was getting heavier. 

‘7 steps. 7 steps to my office.’ He let go of Jason’s hand and brushed past him. Tam called his name. He could hear her asking if he was ok as he rushed past. Distantly he wondered if he looked as bad as he felt. The floor was trying to suck him in, pull him down and devour him whole. It felt difficult to breathe like the gravity was somehow affecting his ability to take in air. He shoved the door open and somehow made it to his desk. Trying to use it to hold him up was a lost cause as his body fell out from under him. He expected hitting the floor would hurt. He might even pop one of his stitches.   
~~~~  
“Tim?” Tam said, standing up from her computer, “Tim are you okay?” she looked at Tim’s stumbling form and the cool stranger whose name was Todd Peters… She thought. Jason looked over at her and put a finger to his lips, gently grabbing and steadying Tim as needed as the trio moved into Tim’s office. 

“Shut the door and let’s not make a scene. It’ll wound poor Tim’s pride worse than I have already.” Jay managed to get Tim in a bridal carry before he hit the floor. “I did warn you Babybird. That if you blew me off for the meet I would find you and I would drop you wherever you were.”

“What did you DO?” Tam asked, locking the door and checking Tim’s pulse and temperature with her hands. “He’s burning up.”

“He should have an office cot in here somewhere, if he’s anything like how I think he is.”  
~~~~  
“Who the hell are you? Why the hell did you do that? I will call security! You better answer me!” Tam waved her cell at the man currently carrying her boss/ex boyfriend. “Is he supposed to be that warm? He looks like he needs a hospital. Hello?! Answers!”  
~~~~  
“Tam? At this point I can call you Tam right? I could better use my combat medic skills if I had that COT to lay babybird out on. Re-LAX I’m one of the Cape and Cowl crew. Though Ironically I wear neither.” Jason paused to consider that. “As to my name I’m not going to tell you because it’s better for you if you never actually know. Every time you ask I will LIE, so let’s move on to the matter in hand.” Jason gestured with the now unconscious, or barely conscious Tim in his arms. “If what I’m feeling next to my left hand is any indication, Babybird’s got a through and through GSW.”  
~~~~  
Tam moved to a wall panel and opened it to reveal a nice size comfortable looking bed. Tim had had the whole office retro fitted to also double as a safe house should he ever need it. There were panels for everything, all one needed was the proper ID. 

“He’s got a what? Did you do that too? Hurt him?” She stood angry hands on her hips. “Fine TODD, did you hurt him?”

Tim tried and failed to move even a finger. Everything just felt too heavy. He could hear Tam going off on Jason which he deserved at the moment. He couldn’t however actually hear the whole conversation. Only snippets here and there as he fought to stay awake, even if Jason was comfortable... and warm...  
~~~~  
“I haven’t shot him.” Recently, Jason thought to himself as he spoke to Tam in sarcastic tones meant at one point to be calming but landed soundly on patronizing. “I haven’t hurt him either, I basically gave him a mild sedative. He probably hasn’t slept in a week.” I haven’t slept in going on Five days, and I KNOW he’s an overachiever. Jason thought to himself as he laid Tim out and removed his shirt.

“Yup,” Jason affirmed after lifting the bandage. “Standard gunshot wound.” Which the crazy fucker looks to have stitched up himself. Jason noted. “Christ, this is Alfred territory, especially with the fever.” Jason pulled out a burn phone and dialed a number he knew by heart.  
~~~~  
“Good morning Master Jason. What can I do for you?” Tam heard through the phone. ‘Todd. Jason Todd. I should have figured that out. Tim told me about him. Red Hood.’ Tam raised a brow at the man. Though Tim said they were on good terms she wondered how drugging each other was good terms. 

The rush of cold air as his shirt was pulled open helped to fight the drug just a little longer as well as the panic. He didn’t want Jason to see his screw up. He didn’t want them to add that to the long list of marks against him. He was fine. He could do this. ‘Please, I can still do this! Don’t look please! I’m fine. I’m fine...’   
~~~~  
“Morning Alfred, Babybird’s got a GSW through and through and running a fever up in his office at Wayne Tower. He hasn’t slept in about a week or so and I gave him a mild sedative before I knew about the GSW or the fever. I’m closing out day four of no sleep and Tim REALLY would hate going to Gotham General in an ambulance from work. Or, I’m sort of assuming that as he’s too sedated to talk right now,” Jason ruffled Tim’s hair some affectionately. “So, the standard: You told us so, we’re giant man babies who can’t seem to properly care for ourselves, please Alfred, come save the day, we’d never have made it this far without you, unisex damsel in distress speech. Can you get the two of us out of the building without being caught and patch Tim up while I pass out?”

Jason straightened himself from swaying that he hadn’t realized he’d been doing, “I’m REALLY tired.” This is what I get for going off the pep-up pills. Jason thought bitterly.  
~~~~  
“I can get us out unseen.” Tam piped up. Tim had shown her all the tricks and gadgets of the building incase he ever needed someone on the inside or needed the help. Walking over to the desk she placed her hand on the flat of the wood and a door slid open to an elevator. “It takes you to the base below the tower. He told me it connects to the cave but I’ve never been down there.” 

“I shall meet you there.” Alfred answered. “Please thank Ms. Fox for me and do try not to faint, Sir.”  
~~~~  
“The only promises I make are until we get Babybird in your custody. So might as well bring two gurneys.” Jason hung up and stood, double checking his own balance before scooping up Tim into his arms again and making his way to the elevator. It was likely an express elevator with only two exits, maybe three. Jason hated these things, they upset his stomach. Not that there was much IN his stomach aside from his natural stomach acid but still, he didn’t much feel like sharing with Tim and Tam. Jason waited for Tam to hit the button for the basement level and there was that upsetting feeling of falling with your feet firmly on the ground. Ugh. At the bottom there was a no frills ‘base’ that had extra weapons, projectiles, a quick and dirty computer system, a slightly padded flat surface next to a two tiered cabinet about as tall as jason with bold red cross over the center of the cabinet doors. Jason laid Tim on that slightly padded surface, still in his arms so he wouldn’t have to jostle Tim needlessly when Alfred arrived, hopefully with a pillow.  
~~~~  
The base was by no means small and had been where Dick and Damian had been working out of back when Dick was Batman. Tim understood Dick’s need to separate himself from the cave. That was Bruce’s space. However when Bruce came back the place was gutted and used as a safe house base again. Alfred arrived in one of the many cars they had; sleak, black, tinted windows, and common enough not to be looked at too closely. He stepped out of the car but left it running and opened the back door. 

“Master Jason, Ms. Fox. I hope you don’t mind but this base no longer holds the accommodations it used to. We should press on to the cave, sir.”

“I’ll take care of the schedule.” Tam answered the gentleman.

“Thank you kindly.” He nodded to her and she left back through the elevator. “Are you alright to handle him or should you require assistance?”   
~~~~  
“I can manage him to the front seat and myself to the back. From there? No promises.” Jason said, lifting Tim and realizing the severe truth of his words when baby bird's familiar weight started getting a bit heavy for him. Alfred would remember dragging Jason’s sleeping body as a young robin from the batmobile at the end of quiet nights. Car rides when he was tired were a sure way to put him out like a light. Jason moved to the car, gently set Tim in the seat, reclined it some, so that when he locked the seatbelt in place it wouldn’t press against his injury, and opened his own door to crawl in behind Tim, neglect his own seatbelt and lay across the plush back seat.

They were in Alfred’s custody now, that was enough of a safe harbor for Jason, at this time of day Bruce might even be sleeping. The gentle hum of the engine was already lulling him off.  
~~~~  
“Not to worry sir. I’m sure we’ll manage.” He smiled, shutting the doors. 

Getting back to the cave, Alfred carefully removed Tim from the car and over to the med bay. He knew for Jason to have called him it was serious. Tim seemed to be working to breathe and sweating with fever. Getting a look at the wound he shook his head and got to work first medicating Tim to be sure he was not only unconscious but wouldn’t move or lash out in defence during the procedure. 

Some time later Alfred finished and checked all of Tims vitals. He would be ok if he got some rest and the infection didn't spread. He was confident the antibiotics would take care of it. He cleaned up and noticed Bruce descend the stairs into the cave.   
~~~~  
“Alfred?” Bruce asked, noting his life long friend in the medical bay over a dark haired boy. “What’s happened?” He asks, continuing down the stairs.

“A minor incident, all that can be done is already done. Now all we can do is wait until they wake.” Alfred said, moving around the med bay and cleaning what he used, and disposing of the medical waste.

“They?” And it hurts Alfred’s heart, but he can’t LIE to Bruce. Of the entire multiverse, Alfred needs Bruce to be able to trust him for Bruce’s sake, even if that means making things more difficult for Jason. For something to do, though he did it three minutes ago, Alfred dabs a cool cloth to Tim’s forehead, Bruce is in the medical bay now, Tim’s color is poor, but better than an hour ago, he is in his work pants, and proper attention has been given to his wound, professionally applied bandages placed and wrapped more perhaps than Tim needs, but when these boys live such an active lifestyle, a little extra dressing never hurts. 

“Master Tim will be fine once his fever breaks. His front stitchings are nearly professional, I’m sad to say, I only needed to touch up the ones on the exit wound and give him some antibiotics. He’s sedated, perhaps more than necessary, but, he needs the rest. Master Jason reports that Tim has been awake for about a week.”

“That’s not healthy.” Bruce remarks, moving to Tim’s bedside and looking down at the young man so Alfred is free to raise a salt and pepper eyebrow. “Indeed sir, you of all people know the importance of a goodnight’s sleep.”

Bruce let’s the gibe go in silence, they both know he’s a hypocrite. “You said, Jason.” Bruce states, but even without an inflection, Alfred recognizes a question when he hears one.

“In the back seat of the car.” Alfred gesture with an open palm to the street car parked in the batcave, “Out like a light, and a bit much for only myself to manage from the backseat.”

“He’s asleep?” accusation bubbled in bruce’s voice.

“Nearing 100 hours of wakefulness will cause a man to sleep if he is prone to doing so in the car.” Alfred said, carefully keeping the defensiveness out of his voice. “I’m quite sure that without him, Master Tim would have ‘fallen ill’ in Wayne Tower.” Alfred pauses, and he is pleased to note that any anger or accusation has fallen away from Bruce’s face as he looks at the car. “If I could ask your assistance in moving him to a proper bed?”  
~~~~  
“Of course.” Taking a moment to get a good once over of Tim lying unconscious he determined he was in good hands and moved to see to Jason. He could hear the radio playing as he got closer. ‘Set to Jason’s channel.’ He thought. 

Dick was always a pop and top 100 listener while Jason prefered the rock, indie and alternative but listened to most everything. Tim never seemed to change the channel from whatever was set, instead listening to whatever happened to be on or whatever was offered. Damian prefered to switch between rock metal, classic rock, and classical. Bruce, like Tim, simply listened to what others put on or the news and talk radio. 

The one thing they had in common was falling asleep in the car. Bruce had never been comfortable enough to fall asleep in any vehicle but it did put a smile on his face watching his boys fight to stay awake and fail. 

Jason was spread right across the back seat and almost spilling onto the floor. Careful not to make much sound he opened the door and carefully removed the sleeping man from the car. He didn’t bother to shut the door or shut off the car as the noise might wake Jason. 

Bruce had never touched Jason’s room and had insisted everyone follow that. He didn’t want any of his childrens rooms tampered with and so they weren’t. Alfred was kind enough to keep the large space clean and the clothing the right size leaving everything else alone. 

Bruce gently set his son in the bed and went about carefully removing his shoes and suit. Alfred would have a british fit if he’d let Jason just sleep in his clothes rather than chance waking him.   
~~~~  
“-don’t be mad.” Jason breathed.

“I’m not the one who hurt Tim, I’m just the one who brought him home. Please don’t be mad.” Jason pleaded, and just this once, just because it was a dream, Bruce didn’t look at him coldly. And while he didn’t open his arms to hug Jason, (that would stretch credulity even in a dream) he did put a hand on Jason’s shoulder, “I did my best, Daddy.”

In the waking world he always felt like he was seven when he was being looked down on by Bruce, in this dream he really was. But, but Bruce didn’t look mad, so that meant he wasn’t mad he brought his little brother Tim home hurt, right? It wasn’t his fault, and Alfred would take care of it, so it wasn’t his fault, right?

“...did my best, dad…”  
~~~~  
Bruce could feel that familiar pain in his chest. His son. His son, Jason... thought he’d be mad but what hurt, is at first he was. He was ready to blame Jason, for what, he hadn’t even known. Jason was trying to do better. Trying to be a part of the family again and here he was not giving him a chance... again. 

He brushed Jay’s hair out of his face and ruffled his hair a bit. He remembered what it used to be like. Having Jason home and putting his petulant butt to bed. He missed it. He loved his kids. Something was going to have to give. 

“You did good, Jay. I’m not mad. You did good.”  
~~~~  
“You did good, Jay. I’m not mad. You did good.”

Words of affirmation and praise were so rare from Bruce’s lips, especially lately as was the sign of affection in the hair ruffle. Jason smiled warmly in his sleep and because he was seven, because it has a dream, and because that made it okay: Jason dove into Bruce’s arms, giving the man no other choice but to hold him as he clung to his legs. He tried to make his mouth say ‘I love you, but even in the dream something stopped him. He wasn’t sure if he couldn’t or shouldn’t or wasn’t allowed to say those words, if he hadn’t earned them but every time they got caught in his throat. The closest he could get past the lump in his throat was “I miss you, daddy.”

“...Miss you.”  
~~~~  
Bruce felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest, hugged, and put back in. Pulling the covers up he sat next to the almost asleep man wishing they could always be this open with each other. Yet somehow it's always moments like this that they get to be honest.

“I miss you too. I’ve missed you so much.” He sighs. “I wish... it could be like the old times. I love you Jay.” He brushed his fingers through Jason’s hair one more time and stood, making sure his son was comfortable.   
~~~~  
Jason smiled and shifted in bed rolling towards where he’d felt Bruce’s warmth. “Heh, def’n’ly a dream.” Jason moved a hand over where Bruce had been sitting a moment ago, “Too nice. So sappy.”  
~~~~  
Bruce chuckled and ruffled Jason’s hair one more time. Jason always did pull the most emotions out of him. 

“No dream. Get some sleep Jay. We’ll talk tomorrow.” Bruce quietly closed the door on his way out and headed back to the cave to find Alfred and check on Tim.   
~~~~  
Alfred was in the hall, a respectful distance away from the door, and though he hadn’t heard a word, he smiled softly. “I trust Master Jason is sufficiently tucked in, Master Bruce.” Alfred said, allowing one eyebrow to raise, JUST a fraction.  
~~~~  
Bruce raised a brow back. “Of course. How is Tim? Do you know what happened?” He really wanted to get to the bottom of this. Who and Why. Bruce needed to know. Batman needed to know.  
~~~~  
“I was given very minimal information Master Bruce. Master Timothy had gone into Wayne Tower for the normal business day after patrol, I would hazard a guess that he did so with his side injury only just tended to and for reasons of his own, Master Jason met him in the tower. Master Timothy collapsed, and Master Jason called me. Young Miss Tam Fox helped them exit the building unobserved, and I proceeded to bring them here and attend to Master Timothy.” Which, Alfred mused, was mostly attending to the stitching of Tim’s exit would, as well as bring down his fever before it could crest, treated his infection before it spread and noted a small amount of sedative in his bloodstream. All details he would provide to Bruce in the formal report, not just outside Jason’s room.  
~~~~  
“I see.” Bruce wondered why Tim had pushed himself with such an injury. He knew Tim was driven but his third child was usually more careful than the rest of them. It also brought up the question ‘Just what was Jason doing at WE. He usually avoided the place. What business did he have with Tim? Are they working together?’ That thought was actually comforting on some level. He two sons who seemed to work alone most often having each others backs. But then how did Tim get shot and what happened.

“Let me know when they wake up. I’ll contact Tam.” Bruce left quickly expecting a mountain of work at WE. 

“Pennyworth, why is Drake in the medical bay, or better yet why is he strapped to the table?” Damian stormed up the stairs. He wasn’t mad about his so called brother being tied to the medical table as he was about Grayson’s insistence that he ‘become a real boy’ and ‘play’ with the man. “And please inform Grayson that ‘shoots and ladders’ is a horrendous waste of time.”  
~~~~  
“Were Master Timothy conscious he would insist to you his last name is Drake-Wayne if you insist on using his surname, Master Damian. Accuracy of Information being ever paramount on Master Timothy’s mind even when indeed, there are more pressing questions.” Alfred said turning to move back down to the cave and trusting Damian to follow, especially seeing as how his question hadn’t been answered. And really, it didn’t need to be answered, it was actually fairly obvious if you looked at the chest dressings, or even the medical report still on the side table exactly why Tim was strapped to a table in the medical bay. And Alfred had little doubt that Damian had done both these things.  
~~~~  
“I’m sure he’ll whine to me himself.” Damian rolled his eyes. He really didn’t do it out of spite anymore it was a mix of culture and habit though occasionally he did call him by his first name. They were on much better terms as of last and Damian was SURE he was the only one really talking to Tim. He could trust him to keep his secrets and did the same for the older boy. They were secret keepers, more so than anyone else. The third Robin usually would message him when something happened and Damian would secretly take care of things where he could. In exchange Tim did the same and offered him refuge from the family when he couldn’t tolerate people anymore. They were under the table dealings but its a good three fourths of their relationship. 

“I read the chart, I meant what happened?” He wasn’t showing concern. No, just curiosity and he’d cover it with scorn if he had to.   
~~~~  
“When your brothers wake up I’m sure your Father will demand the same explanation we do, Master Damian. Until such time as they regain consciousness, I believe I have a hearty stew that needs to be made.” Alfred said, thinking of how much he was willing to burden Tim’s stomach with as opposed to how much he was willing to deny Jason. Both would be hungry, however Tim as likely as not would not be up to a hearty beef and vegetable stew Alfred knew Jason would appreciate. Alfred thought that having implied that more of Damian’s brothers were home he might have piqued his curiosity enough to have snagged him a kitchen aid, but He wondered after Damian’s enthusiasm when he learns it is not his eldest brother Dick who is here, but Jason, the prodigal brother. Perhaps he would just make enough stew for Jason a gentle soup for Tim, and he would make something up to Master Damian’s refined tastes for the young boy and his father. 

Jason would likely protest in some way to being given something different to eat. However Alfred was WELL aware of Jason’s favorite foods, and being coddled while embarrassing, would be good for the young man.  
~~~`  
“TT, I have work to do. I’ll be in the cave.” Keeping Grayson from jumping Drake, he’s just lucky the training mats are next to the Med Bay. 

He would get to work off his excess energy (not concern) doing something productive (not playing ridiculous board games). He looked at Jason’s door before silently heading down to the cave. He didn’t have much of a reason to hate Todd, (much as Drake, Brown, and Cain pointed out). He just hated that the man would act like he wanted to be a part of the family and then be gone just as Damian started to consider letting him in. He was just angry about it.


	3. Medbay and Cupcakes??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so there is a conversation that continues at the end but it was really just a back and forth between Dick and Tim and is kind of silly. So I've decided to put it into its own chapter (the next one) and can be looked over if you want but we think you might need the fluff.

The better part of the sun filled hours sees Alfred attending to the house above ground. He is confident in Damian’s ability to play nurse if Tim wakes, which seems unlikely but is still within some realm of possibility. He has a light soup and a fortifying stew in two small pots on a low flame in the kitchen, keeping until the two sleeping former Robins wake. Alfred gets an inclination that Master Richard is going to come round the mansion and sets to organizing a serving plate of sandwiches for the eldest of Bruce’s sons to snack on. He no longer protests that such eating habits will spoil dinner, Alfred has long since been proven wrong on that count.

Tam Fox up in Wayne Tower shifts and shuffles appointments and meetings like a pro. Delegating certain more immediate meetings to the crew of board members she deems appropriate, and rescheduling meetings for issues too important NOT to be brought to the attention of someone with the last name Wayne. And here she has a bit of a problem. 

Dick’s useless with the business end of things, but wonderful for publicity and networking at Charitable events, and Damian is likely to offend merely by his abrupt nature, and is far too young to be taken seriously. Tim strains credulity himself, but has proven time and again that though he is sometimes “ill” he is a literal genius, and right now he is “ill” with a gunshot wound and a sedative. Jason Todd is legally declared dead. Bruce’s ‘Brucie’ persona doesn’t have much credibility, though Bruce himself is highly intelligent.

Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian are all out of the question for one reason or another, but perhaps a miracle will occur and Bruce will pop his head in and settle a few things for a few hours. Then again he’s probably been up all night and is sleeping. Tam SIGHS, prays for her miracle, and carries on as though it’s not going to happen. Because in all honesty, she doesn’t expect it to.  
~~~~  
The sun is rising, Jason notes from the back landing of Wayne Manor. He is still seven, and has a glass of milk and honey in his hands as he sits on the stone railing surrounding the landing. Bruce is in the cave, working on reports that Jason gets, but is neither good at nor interested in writing. Alfred is behind him, setting the table for a breakfast that smelled SO GOOD he had to leave the kitchen for sneaking food one too many times. The milk and honey helps. The air is cool and the sun is warm, but he doesn’t feel it on his skin so much as he knows it in his heart, which just reminds him that this is a dream and won’t last. He keeps trying to forget that. Then he feels guilty for trying to run away in dreams of all things.

“You have nothing to feel guilty about.” and young, dreaming Jason turns, expecting to see Alfred, but sees himself. The age he should be, dressed as the red hood, his helmet resting on the railing, away from Jason. “Who wouldn’t rather have this part?”

“I know all that in my head, but!” Jason sets down his milk and honey, “I gotta find those guys that hurt Tim! I can’t run AWAY! Who else has he got?”

Older, dream Jason considers this, “That’s arrogant of you. I mean, sure you’ve got your little birdies out and about, you’re in good with the current batgirl, but you still don’t know every aspect of Tim’s life to know you’re the ONLY one he’s got to rely on. He’s got the WHOLE family, just like you do.”

Properly chastised, young Jason hunches his shoulders and reaches for his milk again, if only for lack of anything else to do. “Tim needs me, and I like being relied on by him. The big brother, if only for a little.”

“Didn’t you JUST make nice with Bruce?” And Older Jason is now a teenaged Dick. “You’re never going to get your family back if you don’t let them get YOU back too. You’re on the right track Jaybird, don’t go getting target fixation and crashing now. Rely on your family, come through when they rely on you. That’s what family freaking IS.”

“I KNOW what family is!” Jason snapped back, and Alfred clears his throat, Bruce is at the table, his seat half pulled out, staring at Jason. Dick moves to collect baby Damian from Bruce’s arms and set him in the high chair. Jason swings his legs off the rail and moves to the table, having to double back for his milk and honey. He climbs into his own seat, and though his legs are free to swing, he at least doesn’t need a booster seat like Tim still does. Tim is small, and in the dream has bandages on his face and arm. In the dream Jason thinks of the ones who hurt Tim as ‘bullies’ and how they’re gonna pay when he ‘pushes them in the mud.’ Abstract from the dream he knows that tim has a chest wound and the ones who are gonna pay are the crooks he’s probably going to break the tibias of, and if he’s feeling nice when he finds them, he’ll only break one per crook.  
~~~~  
Damian did his diligent duty of keeping Dick from disturbing Tim by distracting the man with a spar, even if the man kept stopping to look over at the sleeping form. At the eighth time of almost seriously hurting the man due to said distraction he simply stopped and sat down to meditate. 

“Hey, why’d you stop?” The acrobat asked confused.

“Isn’t it you who’s always saying it's dangerous to be distracted?” He raises a brow.

Dick sighed and flopped down next to the kid. “You got me there. Using my own words against me.”

“Isn’t that the rules of verbal warfare?” The man was strangely quiet. Dick was never really quiet. He was what Stephanie referred to as a ‘Chatty Cathy’, filling the silence with noise. “What?”

Dick sighed and looked at Tim again. “I just want to know what happened. Why did he go to WE if he was hurt? I know he pushes himself... cause thats just Tim but he usually knows his boundaries better than that.” 

“I suspect the sedative in his system had something to do with it.”

“What?” Dicks attention finally was on Damian.

“Do you ever read the reports?” Dick didn’t answer knowing Damian wasn’t really asking. “There was a light sedative in his system. From the preliminary report Todd was the one to bring him in.”

“You think Jason did it?” Dick looked back at Tim. He knew Jason and Tim were getting along and even working together from time to time. Jason going to Tim and shutting him down for pushing himself or because he was injured sounded a lot more like the old Jason he knew than the back from the dead one he’d come to know. He really hadn’t given Jason much of a chance, or really he felt like he’d given Jason too many chances, but this... Showed some promise. 

“Have you ever known Drake to willingly take a sedative?” It was one of the first things he learned about the older boy, he hated sedatives and refused them at every chance. Pain killers or needed medication were fine but Tim just hated sedatives and it was a widely known fact. 

“No.” Dick answered amazed he didn’t think of that, his judgement on his family seems to be way off lately. What else didn’t he know? “No I haven’t.”   
~~~~  
Breakfast was sorta quiet, but once Dick started slowing down from shoveling food in his mouth, that would change, Jason knew. Dick and Bruce alternately attempted to feed Damian, but Damian’s only just woken up and Tim said that Damian’s not hungry YET but he would be soon. Jason laughed and wondered how Tim could tell even as he stood on his seat to reach the things that Tim is trying to reach for but can’t with his arm. Bruce usually cut in by handing the thing to Jason to give to Tim with a silent raised eyebrow about reaching over the table. Jason would only be a little sorry.

It’s at one of those standing up to reach something moments that Jason sees Red Hood again. His older self is leaning on the railing smiling in a sad sort of way before grabbing up his helmet, slipping it over his head and mounting a motorcycle (that wasn’t there before) to ride down Gotham’s city streets, which the grounds are fading into and back out of. Red Hood disappears, to protect Gotham’s streets while Jason has breakfast with his family. How Jason knows that, he’s not sure, but dream logic makes it true.

Jason wakes up feeling slightly like he’d just had a nice chat over tea with death about how he REALLY SHOULD be allowed to go back to his body though the conversation was great and Death was reluctant to let him go. Jason’s mouth was full of cotton, his stomach was empty and his head ached. Even with the sleep crusting his eyes and his minor aches, Jason felt refreshed in the way that only sleeping can achieve.

It was dark in his room, which told him he’d slept the day away. He was in his old room in the mansion, which meant that Bruce knew he was home. His room was exactly as he’d left it, neater of course, Alfred’s work no doubt. There were posters of musicians and singers that Jason had been into at the time, pictures of family blood and otherwise. A quick yank of the drawers revealed clothing STRIKINGLY SIMILAR to the clothes that would have fit him back when he still wore a yellow Robin’s “R” on his chest. The clothes in the drawers looked to be the size that fit him NOW. A green rugby shirt he’d loved as a kid was still lying in the drawer, only sized up to fit him and brand new. Jason grabbed that, a new pair of underwear, and gray sweatpants. Jason hopped in the adjoining shower for a quick rinse off of his temporary hair dye, afterwhich he scrubbed his face clean of his concealer and removed his contact lenses in a disposable case conveniently laid out. After he was dressed, Jason moved down to the ground floor of the mansion, wanting to fill his empty stomach. Just how late was it?  
~~~~  
The first thing Tim was aware of was the feeling of being on a rocking boat. A little one that pitched, tilted and swayed. It was the best indication he was drugged with a sedative. They always threw off his equilibrium, it why he hated them so damn much. He kept his eyes closed and drifted in the half awake and half asleep state, falling back asleep a few times and waking up feeling a little less disoriented each time. 

He had no idea how long he slept or drifted in and out of consciousness but at some point he managed to wake up enough to realise he was tied to the medical bed he was on. It wasn’t that unusual really. He tended to lash out when drugged. They were trained to. Bad guy drugs you and your best and only hope is to fight back even if you can’t see or even stand. 

Around the hundredth time of waking up he started to remove the straps holding him down and tossed them to the side to dangle from the bed. It took more effort than he’d really thought it would and quickly fell back asleep. This time he slept better and longer. He could tell because he woke feeling rested and not drugged. Which was a blessing. 

Sitting up slowly he took a look around. ‘Med bay in the cave.’   
~~~~  
“Grayson. Just go CHECK on him if you’re so worried. I’m perfectly capable of running routine patrol.”

It was times like this when Damian played the mentor that Dick felt sheepish. Regardless he gave Damian a good natured hair ruffle, and hopped on his bike to head back to the cave. He hoped Tim would be alright, they all knew how much Tim HATED sedatives, And maybe Jason would be awake, He’d been passed out cold for most of the day too. Dick got it, he really really did, the mission was important. Even he could get obsessive, work long hours, push his body hard. But at the same time he knew taking CARE of his body wasn’t an option, but a requirement. Dick recognized that he had to sleep, understood that he needed to eat, that he needed stretches and exercise and breaks. Dick attributed it to his years in the circus, gaining an understanding for how important it was to maintain his body. Sure, Everyone from Bruce to Damian KNEW it, but there were days where Dick felt like he was the only one who remembered it. Thank heaven for Alfred.  
~~~~  
Thank HEAVEN for Alfred. Jason thought reverently as he ladeled beef stew into a soup bowl and sat himself at the kitchen Island with an actual soup spoon (Alfred might even be proud Jason had remembered which type of spoon to use) and said a quick note of thanks to the man whom he was seriously considering constructing a religion around. the stew was richly flavored in such a way that Jason wondered just how long this pot had been waiting for him. He ate half the bowl before wanting something to drink, and had to almost literally tear himself away from his bowl to get a bottle of water to wash it down with. It was a small amount of paradise. Also, it was closer to midnight than sunset. That meant that he was almost assuredly alone in the mansion aside from the heretofore unseen Alfred. Jason didn’t worry about that though, Alfred would turn up in that way he did, just when he was needed.  
~~~~  
Tim inspected himself and took stock of his injuries and movements. He was definitely on some nice painkillers. He reached behind himself and felt the bandaging that was no doubt the work of Alfred. Thank HEAVEN for Alfred. God how he loved that man. He knew his stitches were crap. No one stitched like Alfred. Tim could even smell the ointment he’d applied. He really loved that man. 

Tim threw off his covers to find he was only in his boxer-briefs and his minor cuts had also been cleaned and taken care of. While he was glad for the patch up it was seriously too cold to be walking around the cave in just his underwear. Sighing he chanced getting out of the bed and standing up only to sway and cling to the bed. ‘VERY GOOD painkillers.’  
~~~~  
Dick began to fidget in his bike seat, he wanted to be HOME already. He wanted to be at Tim’s bedside, fluffing his pillows and feeding him the soup Alfred made him and … and being really fucking quiet and awkward with Tim because neither of them have really spoken at any length since Dick told Tim he didn’t believe Bruce was still alive. Dick winced under his helmet. Yeah, there was just THAT little juicy bit of unsaid conversation hanging over their heads.

It totally didn’t help that Tim seemed to take the whole thing PERSONALLY. Dick hadn’t “FIRED” Tim, like the boy claimed, he’d chosen his own protege based on who needed to LEARN more, and Tim didn’t need to learn how to adhere to the Bat Creed and Code, he practically BREATHED it. There was no room for mentorship in their working relationship. Dick honestly didn’t understand why Tim was still wearing the Robin suit at the time at all, he didn’t NEED it like Damian had needed it. Damian had needed guidance, a restraining presence, a good leading example. Tim had needed to stretch his wings and take on his own persona. He’d just lost Kon and Bart and that whole business with his blood family… Could Dick really be blamed for thinking Tim was in an emotionally unstable place? That maybe what was happening was what might have TYPICALLY happened? That Tim manufactured this ray of hope that Batman was alive as a means of denial.

And how the ever loving flying weasel pigs was he supposed to have guessed that Batman wasn’t dead but lost in TIME?! That’s one of those, one in eleven billion chances. Could he really be so blamed for taking the route of pragmatic logic when he was so suddenly burdened with a cowl he’d never wanted? He’d had to have been so GROUNDED for Damian, he hadn’t been able to allow himself to hope, it had hurt too much.

Blinking back wetness Dick cursed himself for making himself sad. This wasn’t what anyone needed. He just wanted to go check on Tim, and maybe work on trying to bridge the gap that had formed between them.  
~~~~  
It took entirely too long for his liking to get the room to stop tilting and the colors to stop bleeding into each other. Tim really did not like being drugged, however he also didn’t like being in pain all that much. Right now he hated the drugs more. 

Looking around he saw a t-shirt and a pair of his workout pants and shoes on the table next to the bed. Sitting back down on the bed he grabbed the clothes and got dressed slipping his shoes on. It took a moment to realise he hadn’t gotten himself here and his car was still at WE. ‘Good thing I have the Red Bird at my base. Walking back would suck.’ 

Tim headed for the computer and called his cars auto pilot to the cave. It would take it 5 to 10 minutes to get here from his base, longer if traffic was bad. Looking at the monitor Tim saw Batman taking care of a bank robbery while Robin took care of a mugging several blocks away. 

Robin. 

Tim had been so angry and hurt when the mantle had been taken from him. He’d worked so hard for it. Gave LITERALLY everything for it. Friends. Family. His life. Robin had been all he’d had left. It was who he was. It was more than a title or a position or status. It was HIM. He hated that everyone seemed not to understand that, or ignore it, whatever. 

He’d hated Damian at first but watching and knowing the little shit now, he knew he was becoming a good Robin and a better person because of it. They even understood each other and got along now. Tim knew Damian had grown into the role and needed it to... just needed it in a different way than he did and he could and was accepting that.

Still. 

Standing alone in the cave. Watching the monitors and seeing just how little he was actually needed. He felt left behind. Pushed aside. He felt like that lonely little kid with a camera following Batman and Robin around again. On the outside looking in... and so desperate to be a part of it all but never being able to be let in. He didn’t belong here. He never really had. He was just a stand in. He just hadn’t known it. 

But that was fine. The hurt and ache in his chest was at least something. He’d felt like he’d mattered for a little while and he’d learned a lot. He just had to keep going until...

until... 

Something. Till his end. However soon that might be.   
~~~~  
The water had JUST been shut off and Jason had been moving his bowl to the drying rack when he heard a polite cough behind him. “The stew was amazing Alfred, thanks. I finished the pot.” 

“And washed up after yourself.” Alfred remarked, “I knew I’d raised you well.” The smile on his face was affectionate, and Jason returned it. Alfred really had raised him in all the little domestic things that Bruce didn’t teach him. Jason knew about table etiquette, cooking, cleaning, laundry, clothing color coordination, gardening, history, had started him on rudimentary first aid skills among other things as Jason got what was left of his childhood in wayne manor. “Would you like to help me make some dessert Master Jason?” 

“Gonna teach me to make something new, or go with an old favorite?” Jason said, drying his hands and wearing a grin few souls saw with the frequency that Alfred did.  
~~~~  
Tim was saved from watching the monitors for much longer as the Red Bird pulled into the cave and stopped, waiting for him. He didn’t bother to take one last look around the cave while he was there. Looking at his once home hurt. Seeing his old uniform in a glass display case along with several others sent a pang of hurt through his chest. It had been there before Damian took over but now it somehow felt very final. It had taken on a whole other meaning and he just couldn’t be here any longer. 

Tim headed for his car and yanked open the door. It really hurt just standing there in the cave.   
~~~~  
There was a car in front of Dick. There shouldn’t BE a car in front of him as he rode up the secret drive to the road entrance to the bat cave. Closer inspection reveals it to be Tim’s ‘work car’ and that is NOT supposed to be on the road right now. Tim should be resting. He should be recovering from his injuries and eating Alfred’s meticulously prepared soup!

Tim is SO going to get a quick lecture on recklessness before Dick apologizes for disbelieving Tim about Bruce. Dick lets the Red Bird get a good distance ahead of him. maybe about a 15 second lead. When he enters the cave and curves his bike into a stop Dick yanks off his helmet and shouts in his best ‘I’m the grown up’ voice, “Timothy Drake-Wayne!” And just like that the authority in his voice evaporates and melds into something more motherly and a bit naggy, though affectionate, “Get your half drugged loopy and gun shot ass back to the medical bed and let your body recover for two minutes. Have you even eaten?”  
~~~~  
Tim will be the first to admit he damn near jumped out of his skin at Dick’s near but not quite Batman voice shouting his name. The flinch caused tension on his injury and a ripple of pain exploded all over his torso. He gripped the car door for support and did his best to breathe through the pain. It subsided enough that heard Dick’s last question. 

‘What are you my mother?’ He wanted to snap at the man even if he was only just showing concern. Its not like his mother ever did. ‘Yeah like the concern he showed when he thought you were crazy.’ Tim thought and sighed. “I’m fine Dick. The car has an auto pilot.”   
~~~~  
“And after Alfred made you soup for when you woke up you were just going to slink out! Here I was going to sit at your bedside and start apologizing for living up to my name in the worst ways possible! Here Jason went through all that effort to make sure you were seen to and taken care of! Here we were all worried SICK because you were running a fever for who knows how long before Alfred got it down.” With the gentlest of lifts, Dick had Tim up off his feet and gently and smoothly moving back to the medical bay. “You are going to LAY DOWN and heal and we’re going to TALK for the first time since you decided cowls were better than domino masks. They’re totally not by the way, cowls give you TERRIBLE cowl hair, I don’t know how you don’t suffer from it. It goes against nature.”

At this point Dick was rambling and he didn’t much care. He easily laid Tim out onto the bed as smooth as silk and pointed at the Gurney. “If you’re not right here where I left you by the time I get back with the soup Alfred made with love I’m going to get out the locking manacles, so HELP me Timmy I MEAN it.” And really, he should wipe the pout off his face, it ruined the threat.  
~~~~  
He couldn’t even look at Dick he felt so ashamed. He wasn’t trying to make anyone worry or angry with him but it seemed like that was his gift in life at this point. Screwing up. He stayed silent as Dick gave him the guilt trip of his life. The pain in his chest and familiar sinking feeling in his stomach at his failure was that he was trying to avoid. He wasn’t trying to ‘slink out’ as Dick put it, he was just trying to get out of everyones way. He didn’t belong there anymore and he really didn’t know why Dick was insisting that he did. 

‘Thats just Dick.’ Tim thought. ‘He thinks everyone is part of the family. Even if they aren’t.’ Tim wanted to head for his car. He just wanted to leave. He didn’t know if he could deal with talking to Dick right now. He didn’t want to hear how Dick felt Damian needed the Robin mantle more than him or that he felt Tim was ready to move on. The fact didn’t chance that Tim really wasn’t ready and Dick had taken the last thing he’d had left in life from him. Robin and his place in the family. Tim had really thought he’d be fine with that if he could just get Bruce home. He wasn’t Dick’s Robin anyway, he was Bruce’s... but even Bruce chose Damian. He really didn’t have a place here anymore and he didn’t want to talk to Dick about it or how he should be happy he was making his own path or whatever. It wasn’t what he’d wanted or needed. 

He wondered if he should go the second that Dick left. It would be the best way to avoid another fight with Dick, because thats what it would become and he knew it. He didn’t want to fight with Dick. He really should just go.   
~~~~  
The Kitchen was just starting to smell of cupcakes when Dick moved out into the hallway outside of the kitchen, “Oh, God! Alfred’s making sweets!” Dick moved into the kitchen and found Alfred plus one, specifically plus Jason Todd. “Jay?”

“Big Bird!” Jason said, sleeves rolled up and practicing making frosting roses on a kebab stick. “Should’a known that making dessert would have summoned you from Gotham’s underground.” Jason seemed to be unsatisfied by his flower, as he scooped it off the stick and scrapped it back into the frosting bag. “Alfred, is it quarter turns or eighth turns of the stick, because I just can’t seem to get the petals to look full like you do!”

“The Cupcakes are still cooling Master Richard, and,” Alfred gave Dick’s wandering hand a refined slap. “Have yet to be frosted. I would urge you to WAIT until they are finished.” Dick removed his hand from the vicinity of the cupcakes and remembered what he was actually here for, “Actually, Tim’s up and I came up here to get him that soup you made him.”

Alfred nodded and quickly prepared a lovely dinner tray for Dick to take down to Tim. “Do advise Master Timothy to take the immune system boosters AFTER dinner, as they have a tendency to cause discomfort on an empty stomach.” Dick nodded his understanding and with great effort, left the Kitchen without a single cupcake. He felt like a real trooper.  
~~~~  
Tim tried. He did. He sat and waited and agonized over whether to stay or go. If he stayed he would end up talking with Dick and fighting and it would be awful. He was told to stay put just like Jason had told him to meet him. Would Dick really chain him up? He wasn’t sure on that one. 

He felt anxious. He picked at his clothes and the sheets on the gurney and straightening the things on the counters before he just couldn’t take it anymore and headed for his car. He just couldn’t handle this right now. He had work to do. A killer to find. A drug to get off the streets and a gang war to stop. He didn’t have time to stop and chit chat and then argue and then feel worse than he already did. He just had too much to do.   
~~~~  
Dick was humming idly to himself as he carefully made his way down in the elevator he rarely used, but soup on a tray with all those damned steps was just out of the question. There was a sweet placemat set down, a large plate (that Dick thought was called a runner or a racer plate but he couldn’t for the life of himself recall) sat under the soup bowl, and the like designs on both rims complimented one another. There was only a spoon on the folded napkin, and a large glass of water with a second bottle next to a small medicine cup with the pills Alfred wanted Tim to take. With any luck there was a second sedative in there, as Tim seemed to be too flighty to be a good patient this time. Dick doubted it, Tim’s utter loathing of sedatives was common knowledge, Jason’s threat to use them might have ensured Tim’s compliance on any other day.

“Soup’s on!” Dick said as the doors opened, only to see the medical bay empty. Irritation and hurt welled, he’d asked Tim to stay put for two reasons, one for the young man’s health, he’d essentially just gotten out of surgery, and the other to TALK to him. Had Tim not forgiven him? Hurt was set aside for irritation as Dick GLARED DAGGERS at Tim who’d not actually made it inside his car as he moved to the medical bay and set down the tray. “You can get back here on your own, or I can go GET you, Timmy.” He let the choice hang in the air, statements like “you won’t like it if you make me go get you,” “You’ll just make it worse for yourself if you don’t come back on your own,” and “you are in SO much trouble young man.” went unsaid as a matter of course.  
~~~~  
15 more seconds and Tim would have been home free. A large part of Tim wanted to grab for the door and just get in the damn car and go. However the look on Dick’s face and the horrid guilt just had him standing in place staring at the door handle. He didn’t know what to do. He sure as hell wanted to say something about how much work he has or how he didn’t need to be coddled but his mouth seemed out of order and his jaw locked up tight. All he could do is just stand there and stare confused and angry at the car door.   
~~~~  
‘Definitely not forgiven me.’ Dick thinks to himself, digging in the cabinet for the locking manacles and attaching them to the gurney before moving back to Tim who looked livid enough to spit acid. “I did tell you what I’d do if you tried to sneak off again.” Dick said in resignation as he again gently lifted Tim into his arms and laid him out on the hospital bed, securing his hands before raising the bed to a sitting position and securing his feet. “Alfred wanted you to take some immune system boosters after your soup to make sure you don’t get sick again. Jason’s just woken up and helping him frost cupcakes. Damian guarded you while you slept so I wouldn’t disturb you by trying to casually distract me with sparring. Bruce has been finding excuses to pass by your bed all afternoon and evening before patrol. I got sent home for being a distracted mess worrying about you.” Dick said as he worked. “Don’t you think that even if you have no concern for yourself, you should take your health more seriously? Especially with all the people who are invested in your health.

“We hate seeing family this way.” Dick said, grabbing the soup by it’s large plate and picking up the spoon. “And you’re going to hate this because it’s going to feel like coddling but you were SO warned.”  
~~~~  
Tim had pulled away when Dick moved to pick him up but ultimately gave in knowing it was useless to fight since he really couldn’t at the moment. He gave in but let his anger, guilt, and hurt stew. Brooding being a bat thing Tim had it to an art. He wanted to either laugh or scoff at Dick’s attempts to make him feel like ‘part of the family’ or that everyone cared. He definitely wanted to scoff at the ‘We hate seeing family this way’ and he may have. He really wasn’t paying much attention as he looked anywhere but at Dick. He felt cornered and he hated that feeling. He didn’t even look at Dick as the man tried to feed him of all things. Chaining him to the bed wasn’t enough not he was going to be spoon fed too? Tim really wasn’t a prideful person but he felt an all time low here. He felt his eyes itch, probably from the sheer amount of frustration he was feeling at the moment. And the guilt, the hurt, the humiliation... and Dick just wouldn’t stop sitting there and lying to him.   
~~~~  
“So it’s pretty damn obvious that you’re still way pissed off at me. Not that I’m helping on that front.” Dick said, “I’m not going to justify myself to someone who looks ready to spit in my face, it’ll just piss you off.” He moved the spoon to Tim’s face, “You still need to eat and take care of your body though.”  
~~~~  
“I’m fine.” Tim moved away from the offered spoon. He knew it was Alfred’s cooking and by sheer extent it would be amazing but there was no way he was going to be spoon fed after being chained to the bed and lied to. “If you’d wanted me to eat maybe you shouldn’t have cuffed me to the bed.” He snipped. 

God how easy would it be to yell? To scream and fight? But he just didn’t have it in him. He may be mad but he was far more hurt and ashamed and it was plenty enough to keep him subdued. He didn’t want to fight with Dick and he didn’t want to be coddled either, but most of all he just wished... “Could you just stop playing at being the nanny already? What do you want? A report?”   
~~~~  
If there was any effective way to slap Dick in the face without hands, Tim had found it. “Okay.” Now Dick couldn’t feed Tim without a LUMP in his fucking throat that his third brother didn’t want anything to DO with him that wasn’t business related. “Though cuffing anyone to a bed in this family is really just sorta symbolic anyways, lock picking skills.” Dick didn’t have it in him to undo all of the cuffs, and left Tim’s ankle on his bad side secured to the bed. He then handed bowl, plate and spoon to Tim, pulled up the stool in the medical bay and laid his head down on Tim’s legs. He was, for the moment going to try to give Tim some silence as he ate, and silently tried to find Tim’s thudding pulse in his leg, knowing he would be able to pass it off as just fidgeting. He figured he made a pretty effective bed cuff himself.   
~~~~  
Tim really wasn’t sure what to do with what just happened. Dick was usually persistent and unrelenting in his thoughts and feelings but the look on Dick’s face was words enough. The older man looked like Tim had just stabbed him and his little dog too, and Dick didn’t even have a dog. 

Tim ‘s chest tightened and the shame and guilt took on a life of its own. He really just couldn’t do anything right. Yeah cuffing him to the bed really was just symbolic and Dick being silly but it didn’t stop it from being humiliating. He took a few bites of the soup he assumed was good since he really couldn't taste it before his stomach started to scream at him that that was a bad idea and he should stop before it took drastic measures. He did. There was no way Alfred would let him leave if he threw up and the man would lock him up for real, so Tim resorted to playing with it a moment hoping his stomach might change its mind. “I just don’t know what you want from me Dick.” It was part plea and part olive branch.   
~~~~  
Still looking for Tim’s pulse, it would make a good lie detector, Dick answered, “Can’t I just hate that we’re fighting? ‘Cause I hate it. I hate that I didn’t believe you and that I don’t GET it and you still don’t want to deal with me if it’s not absolutely necessary and related to WORK.” Tim wasn’t eating, but Dick wondered if his stomach was even ready to take anything on. Dick pulled away on the rolling stool, rolled to the tray, grabbed the glass, and rolled back. “Here, try water.” Dick laid his head down on Tim’s leg again, still looking for that pulse.  
~~~~  
If Tim hadn’t known better he would have sworn that gunshot wound was to the chest. He left the soup on his lap and took a small sip of water. He stomach wasn’t happy with that either but the cool chill helped. He decided to go back and forth with them. A bite of soup broth and a sip of water and back again. “Its not that I don’t want to deal with you, I just don’t want to fight with you. Not one conversation in the last year has been a nice one and 79% of the time ends in yelling.” He’d done the math. It was stupid but it helped him think and gain perspective on things to map them out. “Though its better than Bruce’s 92%”   
~~~~  
“Better than my track record when I left Bruce.” Dick muttered. “We were constantly fighting, and even when we weren’t Fighting-fighting, we were totally still fighting. Did you know that that manchild actually started giving me the SILENT TREATMENT?! Like legitimately, deliberately not talk to me, not look at me, using fucking EMAILS to communicate with me. I hated the fighting then too. He’s my DAD, and you’re my brother, and fighting with family sucks, but at least with Bruce we understood one another but just saw things differently. Tim. I don’t get it. We’ve talked it out and I’ve explained myself and you’ve explained yourself and I’m not stupid but I still… I still just don’t get it, the robin thing, the firing thing.

“I can’t apologize for something I don’t even know what I did WRONG so… I at least wanna apologize for what I do understand.”  
~~~~  
Tears threatened to well up at Dick’s words. He just didn’t know how he could make himself any more clear. How he could make Dick understand. To make the man understand what Robin had meant to him Dick would have to KNOW him. If he didn’t understand, then Dick just didn’t know him and wasn’t listening. 

“The silent treatment might be better at this point. At least then he’d stop looking at me the way he does.” Tim knew he was deflecting. He was making the conscious effort to deflect. It was that or tell Dick the truth of the situation and make him stop lying. Make him stop pretending. How can they say they’re brothers when Dick kicked him out? Took the one thing he had left in life away and not understand why Tim was even upset about it. How did that make them family? And the one time Tim needed him to trust him above all else he didn’t. How was he supposed to be part of a family if they never listened, knew you, or trusted you? Oh yeah, his parents.   
~~~~  
“I’m apologizing, so I’ll get to that silent treatment comment in a bit.” Dick said, not lifting his head. “I didn’t believe you when you told me Bruce was alive. I just assumed all the tragedy you’d suffered in rapid succession had caused you to find a coping mechanism and you were seeing a connection that wasn’t there. I had my entire life full of trying to keep Damian from tarnishing the Robin Cape and teaching the little hellion humanity. I’d gotten it into my head that I was the eldest left, I was going to have to play the adult and that meant putting away the faith I would have given to you freely for practicality. I’m no good at playing the adult, and where I should have listened to you I shut you out. When you insisted I threw you in ARKHAM because I’d had enough of crazy half siblings. Jason just coming off of his stint as gun-slinging Batman, and Damian still being a royal terror. I wrote you off as grieving and I was wrong. I was about as wrong as I could possibly ever be.

“If nothing else, Taking on Bruce’s cowl taught me a few things. I’m a good mentor, but Not a Batman. Jason’s not a Batman either, and I don’t think he really wants it either way, not really. The only real Batman is Bruce, and After Bruce, it would be you, scarily enough.”

“I wasn’t a good Batman, because I failed you when I should have fought FOR you, not with you. You’re like him you know? Bruce. All hard lines and the mission and nothing before it. Multiverse be good if you ever did take up his cowl you’d be in a MUCH more mentally stable place than he’s holled himself up in, and older than I was when I took it on. But of All of us, You. So I’m doubly sorry I didn’t listen to you, cause I should have known better than to listen to anything but my gut. I should have believed you, when have I ever had cause to doubt you?”  
~~~~  
Jason was practicing his buttercream frosting flowers, perfecting the rose and the tulip and the flower bud and the smooth lines of plant vines as Alfred worked with something called fondant and started making orchids and hydrangeas, meticulously folding each little flower and detail in ways that Jason was SURE the old man was strictly showing off. Together they topped off a cupcake in bluebells, part buttercream stems, part fondant flowers over white frosting base. Clearly outmatched in the art of making flowers, Jason topped a cupcake in a smooth representation of Tim’s new sigil, only to have Alfred produce a superb Bat icon. Jason piped out the yellow Robin’s R and Alfred made the blue wingspan of Nightwing. There would clearly be no victor tonight. Not to be discouraged by that little truth, Jason piped up a rather cute likeness of Alfred’s suitcoat. Formal tie, charcoal gray jacket, little white collared shirt. Alfred, in response, made his own Robin’s R. The slightly more stylized one Tim had adopted. “FINE. I admit defeat!” to which Alfred only chuckled, piping up Jason’s red bat wingspan he’d adopted as the red hood. Jason smiled warmly, nabbing his cupcake up and peeling the paper back and was pleased to watch Alfred do the same. It was so easy to let himself get away with being this domestic with no one around to bear witness.  
~~~~  
Something inside Tim shifted and hurt in a different way. He gave in. “You might have dropped the ball with me but you did a great job with Damian, Dick. You started out bad at the cowl but you made it your own and you did really well. I know that and I’m sure its part of the reason I was so upset.” Tim set the soup aside knowing he’d had all he could eat of it which wasn’t much. A small voice in his head wondered if it was the meds or his eating habits that was the problem. He couldn’t keep this up with Dick and he knew it. He may not owe Dick forgiveness but he sure felt like he did. Dick was doing his best to convince Tim he was sorry and meant it. Was he really going to be stubborn and stay upset at Dick? Besides Dick had a point of him being a lot like Bruce in that unyielding way but he just didn’t have it in him for this. He didn’t have the energy to fight the man laying in his lap giving him the world’s saddest puppy eyes that are most likely a superpower. But most of all, he really wanted to stop fighting with Dick. 

“You should have believed me and you should have known me better than that and you shouldn’t have done what you did.” Tim sighed and let the tension and small amount of fight he’d had left leave him. He could get back to the mission after this. It was ok to just take this moment and let things go, right? just for right now? God, he felt so tired and hurt. “Its done and over with. Let’s just let it go. You made your choices and I made mine. It’s done.”  
~~~~  
Tim’s flat words of disappointment nearly drowned out his praise of Dick handling Damian. Dick carefully wrapped his arms around Tim’s legs and hugged. “Damian threatened me with itching powder if I ‘gave you a grayson hug’ before you were healed. But okay. I was wrong, I handled it poorly and it’s done.” He’d noted, Tim had never told him he was forgiven, and that stung too. He wanted to hug Tim’s legs tighter, but he’d decided that he would hug no harder than he was at the moment, just to ensure he didn’t accidently strain Tim’s torso area with the shifting. It didn’t stop him from burying his face in Tim’s legs for a few seconds before his brain caught up with his hurt heart.

“Now what was this about the silent treatment being better than what Bruce treats you now?”  
~~~~  
Tim knew, could see it in Dick’s face that he wanted to hear the words ‘I forgive you’ or ‘apology accepted’ but he wasn’t entirely sure he did forgive him just yet and the last thing he wanted was to say it and not mean it. He was a little worried the guilt would literally kill him right there if he did and Dick would freak if that happened. Instead he gently brushed that soft dark always perfect hair out of Dick’s face and didn’t pull away from the contact like he usually did. 

“He threatened you with itching powder?” Yeah, avoidance was the name of the game and Tim both didn’t want to talk about his problems and was actually surprised the kid went to bat for him. It was a nice feeling to know Damian was looking out for him. It meant they were getting close and Tim was happy about that.   
~~~~  
Six words and Dick knew this line of inquiry was closed. Oh sure, getting a word out of Bruce, specifically when the man would be just as willing to talk about it as Tim was now, would be like pulling teeth out of a tiger. Good thing Dick had circus experience. The very least he could do for Tim, considering how he’d failed him time after time and still wasn’t forgiven, (and wowwie owwie that still HURT) was change the subject.

“He threatened to go BACK to the Al Ghul LAIR and get the super special awesome rare itching powder made from this and that and ground up snake fangs and tiger something and magic or what not. He said he would be fighting ninjas the whole way and it still wouldn’t be as much of an annoyance to him as the powder would be for me.” Dick sat up, one arm still draped on Tim’s leg. “He got that old happily manic look in his eyes and fucking smiled at me. I was almost touched with his sentimentality, but I was too busy being terrified.” The little barely reformed hellion had threatened to put it in his uniform one day when he’d forgotten about this. In his armored jock where he couldn’t reach it to scratch. Among other places.  
~~~~  
That actually got Tim to chuckle at just how funny Damian could be. Yeah he was a sarcastic brat and could be bordering on evil but Tim loved the kids sense of humor. He knew a prank war with the newest Robin would be a hellish experience seeing as Damian usually meant what he said and followed through on his threats. 

“Well I’ll be touched and you be scared and then we’ll have both covered.” Tim gave a small smile. “I’m kind of surprised he’d do that but not as much as I thought I’d be. He’s been...” Tim wasn’t sure how to describe their shift in relationship other than, “closer?”


	4. Crack Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok so this is the conversation that continues from the end of the last chapter but it was really just a back and forth between Dick and Tim and is kind of silly. So I've decided to put it into its own chapter and can be looked over if you want but we think you might need the fluff... we sure did.

Dick: a fair sight closer to you than i’ve been to you lately. *pout pout* 

Tim: yes actually 

Dick: *abject hurt* 

Tim: at least its better than him trying to kill me. you wanted us to get along. 

Dick: WHO TRIED TO KILL YOU?! *protective* 

Tim: Damian several times you KNEW THIS AND WERE THERE FOR IT!! 

Dick: …. i did… but… well… he got better? 

Tim: PFFFT *thinks of monty python* 

Dick: Ah! made you smile! 

Tim: i smile sometimes! 

Dick: not lately. 

Tim: not much reason to. I’ve been busy. 

Dick: well we were fighting so i couldn’t help! 

Tim: nope, you were no help there. 

Dick: timmy you WOUND me, i can help! *puppy eyes coupled with whimpers* 

Tim: OH GOD STOP WITH THE SUPER PUPPY EYES! 

Dick: THEY ARE MY ONLY SUPER POWER I MILK THEM FOR ALL THEY ARE WORTH. 

Tim: *laughs* 

Dick: Hey, laughter, I’m on a roll! 

Tim: well, yeah. congrats. you have me in your evil jaws. what now? monologue me to death? 

Dick: Well, if you weren’t injured, i would cuddle, tickle, and feed you junk food then we would knuckle down on your case and I would go bug Bruce about what the heck is the friction between you two when you got annoyed with me around. 

Tim: sounds fun as long as I’m gone for the bruce bit. I don't really want to be in the state for that one. 

Dick: You should talk to Alfred, to hear him tell it Bruce was ready to jump down Jay-bird’s throat for bringing you home injured, no questions asked. Just that you were hurt and it was somehow Jay’s fault. Bastard loves you, he’s just more emotionally stunted than Dami. 

Tim: B jumps to conclusions and judges jay far too harshly. Dami isn’t stunted either he just doesn’t understand us yet. 

Dick: Jumping to conclusions is a bad trait in the ‘world’s greatest detective.’ 

Tim: B isn’t going to just let everything go even if Jason HAD hurt me. He would just be mad at both of us. it only happens with us. the people close to him. 

Dick: EVEN WORSE… 

Tim: i didn't say it was good or bad just that it happens. 

Dick: *huffing and puffing* why are you injured. you need hugs and i can’t hug you… shit.. i think i’m achieving infinite loop thing where you just keep going in a circle till you explode. 

Tim: You’ll live. Go hug Jay or Dami. 

Dick: Jay and Dami ENDURE my hugs. Bruce got used to them. you seem to be the only one who knows how to appreciate them. 

Tim: Doesn’t mean they don't need them too. 

Dick: *guilty* 

Tim: Damian endures but he likes them and so does Jason they just like to pretend that they don’t. 

Dick: why is just straight honesty in this family so difficult? 

Tim: We’re bats. Its trained out of us. 

Dick: so… At the base of it. This is Bruce’s fault. 

Tim: Isn’t it always? 

Dick: His fault but he’s the solution. What have we gotten ourselves into Timmy? 

Tim: Capes, Cowls, and drama for the ages? 

Dick: That, was a joke. And I pronounce you ‘couldn’t possibly be that bad if you’re making jokes.’ for all that MY medical opinion means jack nothing. 

Tim: Well thank you Doctor. And now that you know I’m fine I do have a major case, involving a bunch of dead human traffickers to get back to. 

Dick: Nope. Uh-uh, you know that Nurse Pennyworth has the final say.


	5. never listen

“I do beg your pardon Master Richard.” Alfred said, coming down the stairs with a tray of cupcakes, Jason two steps behind him, carrying a second tray and a bag hanging from his forearm. “Though I was a combat medic in my time, I have never been a Nurse.”

“The cupcakes are frosted Bigbird, but you aren’t allowed to eat all of them. How’s the patient?” Jason asked as the two crossed the cave to see for themselves, Tim’s condition. Both took note of the locking anklet securing Tim to the bed, and both knew that though it said of a flighty patient, how bad could it have possibly been if it was only one ankle cuff he could get out of in his sleep? Alfred noticed the mostly full soup bowl, the still there pills, and the half drunk glass. Worse than he’d hoped, but Tim was sitting up, joking and laughing. Better than he’d prayed for. Alfred set to work giving Tim a good once over, knowing the young man would submit to the process readily enough, it was the only way he was going to get cleared to be out of bed after all.

“Is there any residual pain, Master Timothy?” Alfred asked, taking Tim’s pulse from his wrist.

“HEY, THESE CUPCAKES HAVE OUR LOGOS ON THEM!” Dick exclaims.   
~~~~  
“Nothing I can’t handle, Alfred.” He gave a small smile. He knew he had the pain meds to thank for that at the moment and that he truly had dealt with worse. Losing his spleen, every fight with Jason... Now that he thought about it he had far too many examples. 

“I’m fine, really. I would like to get back to my house and get some work done, however.” Tim glanced over at the cupcakes and noticed with a great amount of amusement that they did indeed have their logo’s artfully arranged on them. Tim was sure there was no way he could stomach those but he didn’t think he would eat them anyway. They were far too pretty to eat. “So they do. What’s the occasion?”   
~~~~  
“You seem to be about as healed as one could hope.” Alfred said, both happy and sad that Tim was fine enough to head out, there was no question on if he would go. “For anyone else but a bat, I would recommend three days bedrest. For you, I ask that you not go out tonight and keep to desk work as long as you are able, with no less than one person for backup if you must go out at any time on cape business after tonight. If you are amenable to Master Jason driving you home, I’m willing to let you go home tonight.”

“He’s got us both on support staff tonight. Threatened to give us RECOVERY status.” Jason said as though the mere thought of being on Recovery was heinous.

“As to the cupcakes, Master Timothy, the reason is simply,” Alfred started but he was cut off.

“War.” Jason said, nodding to the cupcakes, and Dick looked up from his hydrangea cupcake, “War?”

“Cupcake war.” Jason said, with all the seriousness he could muster. Dick cackled. 

“There’s two for you.” Jason said nodding to Tim, but he eyed the soup bowl, “It’s probably a good thing that Alfred brought the tupperwares for them though.”

“You don’t have a Red hood Cupcake here Jay.” Dick said looking around, he hadn’t noticed the bit of red frosting at the corner of Jason’s mouth.  
~~~~  
“Thats because Jason couldn’t resist devouring the evidence of his defeat. Am I correct?” Tim smiled. No one beat Alfred at cooking. It was just a fact of life, even if it was fun to try. 

“I guess if Jason is willing to drive me home and resist drugging me, I can agree to that. I’m way too busy to be on Recovery Status.” The threat was a valid one as all Alfred threats were. One didn’t disobey Alfred and run the risk of angering the man. Only Jason had ever gotten away with that amount of household terror and Tim suspected Alfred had a soft spot for Jason because of it. From what Tim heard, Jason tested the boundaries of almost every rule of the house just to see what Bruce and Alfred would do and if they’d really stick by him or kick him out like he expected them to. He also had a theory that Alfred and his never ending patience is what really made Jason feel like this was home, Its how it’d work for him. Tim promised himself he would TRY to do as Alfred asked.   
~~~~  
“Actually, Young Master Jason and I were just celebrating the cupcake war’s peace treaty.” Alfred said with the softest smile of affection. He grabbed the bag from Jason, “I’ll just pack your food and the three of you can be on your way out.” Alfred gave a light slap to the top of Dick’s reaching hand. “The green Robin R is for Master Damian, obviously. The open R is for Master Timothy. YOURS is one of the two in the classic design.” Alfred plucked the open stylized R and set it in a slightly oddly shaped tupperware that seemed to be actually made for holding single cupcakes without messing the frosting. He grabbed a second tupperware and the Red Robin cupcake. Setting these in the bag that turned out to be an insulated lunch box. He grabbed a square of gauze and wrapped up the medication he wanted Tim to take once he’d actually gotten some real food in him. he sealed the makeshift pouch with some medical tape and put it and the water bottle in the box as well. “Do you need assistance getting down, Master Timothy?”  
~~~~  
“Thank you Alfred.” The man was a godsend, really. Tim always felt horribly spoiled by him and just loved him all the more for it. He always felt cared for and it was something Tim never knew he needed. He carefully sat up and made sure not to jar his wound. 

“Dick you mind uncuffing me?” Tim could do it if he wanted to but giving Dick the task would be the nice thing to do and he didn’t want to strain the recent stitching with Alfred watching like a hawk. It wouldn’t do to get put on recovery after getting so close to getting away scott free.   
~~~~  
“Doth mine ears detect a miracle, Babybird actually volunteered an request for help. There’s hope for him yet.” Jason said, snagging his Classic Robin ‘R’ before Dick could down both. Dick uncuffed Tim’s ankle as asked, with a small massage of apology before collecting the anklet and putting it away. Alfred held out his arms for Tim to brace against, letting the young man make his own way down, to try and ensure that Alfred didn’t move Tim badly. The lesson of assistance not being a sign of weakness would go lost on Tim, Alfred knew, even after the young man had proved proficiency in the concept when Ra’s attempted to harm all that Tim held dear. Of all in his extended family, Alfred knew better than anyone that one did not lecture to teach bats, instead one must prove one’s point in reality as often as possible.

“He said the three of us, so stop sneaking cupcakes ‘cause midair somersaults with a stomach full of sugar is gonna make you miserable. YOU aren’t on support tonight, you have a patrol to finish Bigbird.” Jason said, with no real ire in his voice. In fact, the boy sounded damn near affectionate as he reached for Tim’s clothes, freshly laundered of course. Alfred missed no details.  
~~~~  
Not bothering to comment on Jason’s comment Tim concentrated on getting up without wincing. That didn't stop him from sending the second Robin a glare. He'd just spent the last hour and a half making nice with Dick and he didn't want to mess with that. "Thanks for washing my suit Alfred."   
~~~~  
All three chose not to comment on how delicately Tim was moving. Alfred nearly recalled his deal on seeing Tim’s movement in action, but he dare not. His absolute trustworthiness was an essential part of his usefulness to the Wayne family, and going back on his word, even for something like this would be damaging. He should have asked Tim to get into and out of bed as a means of determining his ability to be released on his own recognizance. In effect, it was his own fault he hadn’t thought about it at the time. Now the only thing he could do was gently guide Tim to the passenger side door of the car, “It is what I’m here for, Master Timothy. It was no trouble.”

Jason put a hand on Dick’s arm as the man moved towards his bike. He was just about to ask what Jason wanted when Jason put a single finger to his lips that was the universal signal for quiet since grade school. Using their limited form of sign language Jason, asked Dick to make his report to B and little R on the road. With a small jerk of his head to the mouth of the cave, he heavily implied that Dick should really get a move on. Dick nodded and strode to his bike, “Well, I’m off, ease up on yourself Timmy, let that heal and you’ll be somersaulting with the best of us (we mean me, cause i’m the best acrobat) within the week!” Dick moved past the two, a quick kiss to Alfred’s temple and a ruffle of Tim’s hair to make do instead of his normal bear hugs. “Keep me in the loop about that thing we talked about Jay.” Dick called out, and Jason nearly winced that Dick was being heavy handed about it but there was no time to fuss over it as Dick already had his helmet on his head and his bike roaring to life. Dick hesitated only a moment, he didn’t want to leave his family when one was hurt, it felt wrong, as it always did.  
~~~~  
Doing his best not to shy away from the offered help Tim made it to the car and glared at Dick for his now, surely, messy hair. Watching the exchange Tim took a moment to wonder what that meant and feel the hurt at being left out of whatever it was. But that was normal. He was always out of the loop and the last one to know. Sighing he let it go and worked to hold himself better and more confidently since Alfred seemed to hover. It was disconcerting. 

“I’m just stiff from the drugs, Alfred. I’m fine. Really.” Sitting in the car he made sure the seat belt strap didn’t bother his wound and waited for Jason. He really wanted to just set the autopilot and just get out of there and NOT have a babysitter but he doubted he would get away with that. He was also sure that wouldn’t go over well... at all. Now all he had to do was convince Jason he was fine and he could get back to the mission.   
~~~~  
Jason climbed into the driver’s seat, He’d said his private goodbyes to Alfred in the kitchen. “You good?” Jason asked Tim, waiting for the go ahead as he started the car, but left it in park. Let Tim set the pace, he’d decided.  
~~~~  
“You’re th-” He sighed. Being snippy or sarcastic wouldn’t get him anywhere. “I’m fine. Buckled and all.” It almost felt like Jason was asking ‘Are you REALLY sure you want to leave?’ The answer was yes. Yes he really didn’t want to be here when Bruce got back and started giving him those... just looks. The nonverbal lectures that were worse than anything he could think of at the moment.   
~~~~  
Jason had been asking if Tim was in any pain; he thought the question had gone right over Tim’s head, but he threw the car into gear and followed Dick’s headlights out away from the only cave he would ever call home. “We’ll set you up at your workstation so you can do research while I play fetch and grab while you combine my intel,” Jason held up a disc in a clear case, “With yours.” Jason set the case down between the two of them, “Something tells me there’s only one case between the two of us, Babybird. And I don’t like it.”  
~~~~  
"I think you're right." Tim stared at the disk and thought hard. "The more I look at this case, the more I feel like I'm missing half of it. It's not adding up and the killings don't match the MO of either gang..." Tim really did not want to say it out loud before he was really sure but... "We might have a third party on our hands."  
~~~~  
“Someone has some serious balls to be playing this big of a game in OUR city.” Jason said, gripping the steering wheel as though it had offended him. “That’s something that needs to be corrected.”

And oh, it could be so easy. Live rounds, lethal methods, techniques he’d not used since being taught them in the league of shadows. Death was a very definitive way to deal with people this flagrant in their disregard for human life and morality. Death could stop the drug lords, could stop the child traffickers, could stop the serial killers. What fun is going on an illegal spree if you just die right after it? Most people really really like living. The ones who want death are usually quieter about it. Usually.

But what good would it do, to become the evil you fight? Jason was already soaked in blood, innocent and otherwise. A lot of that blood was unnecessary; Jason just hadn’t given a damn. He was feared and respected, but he hadn’t been a hero. The kindest term for his debut as the Red Hood would be an anti-hero. A more practical term might have been Crazed Murdering Vigilante. There was a reason for the code of ethics Bruce adhered to, there was a reason for the lines that were made to not be crossed. There was a reason it was tempting to go over those lines, just a little, just a hair. Please, oh please, just once?

“It would be so easy. Just to kill him and have done with it. Kill him for you, for the countless he’s slain.”

He hadn’t heard Bruce at the time, hadn’t listened, hadn’t wanted to. It would be so easy to cross the lines in the sand they’d drawn, but then they wouldn’t be who they were. Gotham had sunk to the depths it was in now BECAUSE people had been doing what was easy over what was right for too damn long. Gotham’s Dark Heros needed to be better than the sins of Gotham. They needed the hard road, to make sure they didn’t beget the sins they fought.

Besides, Jason enjoyed the challenge most nights.  
~~~~  
Tim looked at Jason and wondered what he meant by ‘corrected’. He knew Jason wasn’t killing any more but sometimes he wondered how ‘over it’ the man really was. 

"We need take care of the gangs. Shut them down somehow. More may pop up, but this war between them..." Tim sighed and shook his head. Things were getting bad between the gangs for them to be killing each other or hiring a third party to do it. Jay had a point too. It had to be worse than they knew for this to be going on in Gotham. In the last few years they had settled the gang wars in Gotham and no one dared break the peace agreement. They really had their work cut out for them.   
~~~~  
“Any other day, I’d tell you to put the two leaders in a bullet proof glass arena and let them duke it out.” Jason said, making a turn slow and smooth, making the gentlest correction to avoid a pothole that would likely send Tim reeling. “But the fire-bloods and the snake heads? Too much bad blood. If you really wanted to undermine the gangs, if you actually and truly wanted to get a good chunk outta them… I think you have to improve the neighborhood quality of life in their areas.”

The first time he’d seen a drive by Jason was younger than he’ll admit to anyone. Except maybe Bruce. If you had told him that day that the best way to fight a drive by was with community improvement? He’d have given you directions to arkham. Today he knew both sides of the coin, knew WHY young men sought out gangs. “Improve the schools, start after school programs, create jobs, get them better resources in their areas. All gangs thrive on strife, hard times and tough neighborhoods driving young men to the ranks to have some semblance of community and power. Take away the strife, give them a future? Only the veterans will want to stay in. Most have younger siblings they’d rather be taking time with.”  
~~~~  
A smile graced Tims lips as he thought on how different of an answer that was from the answer he would have gotten even a year ago. “Wow, thats a different answer than the one you gave me last time.”

“I hear you on it too. Its one of the reasons I re-did the old theater. It’s already got a group of kids starting a theater group and I have a manager for it. I’m doing the best I can but its a slow process. You know that. We need a more immediate solution though. We need to cripple the gangs in order to actually get traction with the community, but most of all we have to stop the drugs, murders, and kidnappings.”   
~~~~  
“Well, time changes everything, given enough of it.” Jason said, ready to set that conversation aside for the next decade. “As for a more immediate solution, we need to get a foothold in ONE of the gangs. An informant, a contact, a god damn hostile little shit we have to kidnap and rough up for every conversation. Something.”

And Jason saw it. Tim would too, if he hadn’t already. Three men, two women, Nothing had happened yet but it was easy to spot three muggers sizing up their targets easily enough when you were a former Robin. Jason had his helmet, always had it, but he didn’t have much by way of body armor and weapons. He’d have to borrow from Tim’s stash in the back of Red Bird. Jason drove into an alley and parked, moving to the back seat, pulling out a red domino, gloves, and his travel helmet. Not as bullet-proof as his larger, heavier one, but serving to conceal his identity. Jason shucked on a riding jacket Tim had for civilian cover, found it tight, but workable, and wished for combat boots. “I guess there’s no point in asking you to wait for me.” Jason asked.  
~~~~  
Giving Jason an incredulous look, he took a moment to wonder if Jason was joking. “Not, really no.” Tim answered trying not to be snippy. He was already pulling out a domino mask from his glove box and pulling on his spare armor that sat in a compartment under the passenger seat for easy access. There was no way he was just going to sit in the car while someone needed help. He knew Jason could handle himself in a fight and might be able to handle it on his own, the key word being might. They didn’t know what the guys were packing or what their intentions were. Why go in without back up if you don't have to?  
~~~~  
Jason raids Tim’s stock of goodies, mostly talking to himself as he listens to Tim pull on armor. ‘At least he is putting on some body armor.’ Jason thinks miserably, noting the extent of his protection is the leather jacket, and a kevlar vest under his shirt. That is to say, practically no armor at all. Jason is muttering how he is going to get the lecture of his life when Alfred finds out Jason let Tim out when he promised the old man he would make sure Tim rested up because that was the deal not to get put on recovery when really the two of them totally should have been on recovery.  
~~~~  
Tim raised an eyebrow as he grabbed his belt and opened the door. “Whenever you’re done muttering to yourself, come join me in the alley.” He stepped out of the car. He wasn’t in full uniform or armor. Infact the chest armor he had on was his older one. Not as good but it fit and would do under the circumstances. It felt heavier than usual and Tim figured it was because of his injury. It would slow him down but it was better than nothing and much better than letting the two women get beaten or worse. 

He could already hear the screams. The men were yelling at the women and from the sounds of it they weren’t asking for their money or purses. He let it slip to the back of his mind, choosing instead to put his game face on and muster up the energy to walk with little to no signs of injury. If they saw an opening, Tim knew they’d take it. He didn’t want to give them one.   
~~~~  
Tim didn’t have full cape and cowl in the red bird, Jason noticed. He wondered if after tonight that would change… Jason moved out of the van and fired a warning shot that would force the muggers to look away from where Tim was making his approach, hopefully buy him a little time, and make up for their delay in getting geared up.  
~~~~  
He did not flinch. He didn’t. Ok, maybe he was a little startled by the sudden gunfire but Jason’s guns had a distinct sound. That familiar sound kept him from turning to look behind him, knowing Jay wasn’t the threat. The sound did make the muggers look to Jason as the new target and gave Tim a chance to bring his staff to one guys stomach. The guy had to be around his mid to late 20’s from what Tim could see. Between 5’9- and 6’1, dirty blond hair and semi nice clothes. No rips, tears, or stains. So the guy wasn’t from the streets. Black jogging shoes. He knew he might be running? Tim filed it all away and brought his staff up to hit the guy in the face... only to be blocked by the guy’s arm. ‘Ok this might not be as easy as I thought it was going to be.’  
~~~~  
‘They always look so young these days.’ Jason mused, thinking back to his earliest days as a robin when they’d looked so very OLD. Sure there still was an older generation of crooks, but this sudden influx of youths made Jason’s skin crawl when he thinks that it could have been him accosting some pair of women, if not for Bruce. One woman was on the ground, injured, dead, or fainted Jason didn’t have time to think about, threat removal came first as he crossed the street. The other was at least up, hunched over the first woman and Tim was already grappling with one thug. It was to the advantage of these goons that Jason had to play conservatively to make up for his lack of body armor; an advantage he would never let them know of. He fired two more shots, gauging their ricochet before firing to ensure the women wouldn’t get hit. He could only guess the first two bounces though, before he couldn’t spare the time to think about it and moved in with a knife that was bigger than either of the two goons he’d put himself between.

That was a risky gamble, but Jason was more or less rested and well fed and Tim wasn’t even supposed to be out and about, let alone out of bed. Jason hoped he was good enough to fight between the two of them well enough to use one to injure the other as he weaved and fought between the two. He understood after the first two blows with Thug #1 that they were a little better at fighting than he would have liked, but he understood as well that they were far from his most deadly dancing partners he’d ever done the tango with.  
~~~~  
The longer the fight went on the quicker Tim realised he needed to end this. Wound aflame and body drenched in sweat the realization he might lose just from some stupid mistake was a horrid thought. Faking a right swing he twisted the bow staff between the arm block of the mugger and aimed for the man’s knee, forcing him to the ground. 

“Stay down!” He warned, staff held to the man’s side ready to hit if he needed to. He was breathing heavier than he would have liked. ‘Stupid guns blowing holes in my sides.’ “Hood?” He chanced a glance in Jay’s direction for a second. He’d been ready for the man to try to get up but not to full on body tackle him into the wall. 

Everything whited out as pain exploded seemingly everywhere. He couldn’t tell where it hurt most. His side from the hit from the wall to his injury, his chest as all his air was forced from him from both sides, or his head as it was slammed into the wall. He wasn’t trained to think in moments like these, just react. He brought his staff down and felt the give as a bone broke, the knee most likely and hit a pressure point in the muggers shoulder to render the arm useless for several moments. None of than kept him from falling to the ground, gasping for air and watching the world tilt like he was on a roller coaster.   
~~~~  
One friendly thug knife into an ally’s side rather than Jason’s gut, one hunting knife hilt to the temple and hopefully knife wound thug would stay down at least long enough for Jason to pin stab-happy thug in front of him. Jason kicked back at the goon on the ground who groaned, he wanted the fucker OUT damnit. More or less certain that the bleeding man wouldn’t bother him for about seven seconds minimum Jason took a cut to the wrist he wouldn’t have if he were wearing his reinforced gloves and armor. It was worth it however when Jason grabbed the man’s knife hand and using a knockout gas pellet he’d nicked from Tim’s cashe in the car, he put stab happy out like a light. Knife-wound was coming around, but his gut stab was keeping him down.

And still he was too late. Jason came up behind the man Tim was fighting and put him into a sleeper hold. For hurting Tim he could, easily just pull too hard, and let a lifeless body fall. He could. The man slumped to the floor, one leg clearly out of commission and one arm weakly twitching at his side as the other clawed feebly at his hold, Jason reached in his back pocket for zip tie cuffs. He got one around the clawing hand easily and in a quick release, had the other wrist tightly bound as well.

Taking no chances, he bound the hands of Knife-Wound and Lullabye too, but he made sure to give a swift kick to the stomach to Dead-Man-Walking. Only then did he even spare a glance at the women, one was not moving and the other was looking scared witless, and they were both bloodied but Jason only had eyes for Tim. In the back of his mind he took out the burn phone he had on him, dialed 9-1-1 and tossed the phone to the woman who was up.

“Red?” Jason said carefully, hoping, PRAYING Alfred would not kill him slowly for this.  
~~~~  
Like a distant echo he heard Jason’s voice saying something. ‘Something to him? Maybe to the hurt women? Yeah, civilians first.’ He wondered if the women were ok for a moment before he wondered if Jason was ok. These guys had knives and Tim way just laying around. ‘Thats not good. I need to get up. Right now! Move!’ He mentally yelled at himself. 

With a great amount of effort he rolled to his side and pushed up onto his elbows. The world rolled and tilted and threatened to black out while his stomach protested and screamed that it would eject all substances if he kept moving. Tim ignored it and moved enough to get a knee under himself to sit up. God sitting up felt almost impossible the way the ground kept tilting and tipping around.   
~~~~  
Jason’s hands shot out and steadied Tim as he made several clumsy and jerking moves to stand. “Easy, Easy, red!” Jason said, throwing a look at the conscious woman, “What are you STARING at me for? Talk to the 9-1-1 clerk and tell her what happened! In detail!”

She startled harshly but started making stammering statements to the person on the other line. Jason only half listened as he tried to get Tim to focus his vision on his moving finger. “Come on Red, Follow it. Tracking? Please PLEASE don’t have a concussion, I didn’t SEE. No, no, Stop trying to stand, Look they’re down. We’re safe enough, I need to know if you’re GOOD. Red?”  
~~~~  
‘Red?’ Echo’d in his head. Like a yell in a cave. The word just bounced off the walls in his head. The only thing that he could understand through the fog in his mind. Jason was talking to him. When had Jason gotten in front of him? He needed to get up. They needed to get out of here. Get back to base. To home. He tried to move. Really he did. Something was weighing him down. Like a spell or something. Making him heavy all over as if gravity was pulling him down, forcing him to stay down. 

‘No thats not right. No magic. Hurt? Home. Homehomehomehomehomehome...’

“Home...”  
~~~~  
“Okay Red, Okay. Stay with me.” NOT tracking. NOT good. But the women. “Hey.” and the lady started again. “I need to get Red help. Do I need to wait with you for the ambulance?”

“Sh-She’s dead.” The nearly hysterical woman sobbed, “They killed her and I can’t feel a pulse and she’s DEAD.”

Too many to protect and only one Jason Todd. In an instant Jason flashed to the Red Hood that left to patrol the streets while he and his family sat at breakfast. He could use another him some days. He forced himself away from Tim’s side. “Listen to me. Keep this phone, don’t let anyone take it from you. If someone threatens you, or you just feel afraid or you need to talk to someone hold down the zero button. I’ll come and find you where ever you are. I swear it. But If you are all right I need to get help for my partner.”

“I’m-I’m fine. I’m not hurt, well… not bad. The EMTs. The lady on the line says they’re coming.” The woman on the alley floor held out the phone, as if offering it as confirmation to Jason.

“The GPD aren’t fond of me.” Jason said with a shake of his head. “And remember what I told you. Do not give up this phone, do not give it to anyone don’t let it out of your sight, don’t let it out of arm’s reach. The instant you even think you need me, hit zero. Are you sure You’re okay with me leaving?”

“You could… bind their feet. Maybe?” The woman asked, staring scared at the three men who were still breathing while her friend wasn’t. Jason did as she asked and gently moved Tim back into the car and drove away just as the sirens started to sound.


	6. Questions

Tim became aware at some point that he was in his car. Buckled in even. Safe. The cars always felt safe. He wondered if Jason felt the same everytime he was in the cars. The Bat cars. Maybe it was a Robin thing. Something just trained into you. Get hurt, make it to the car and you’re safe. On your way home. He could relax now. 

So tired and heavy. He could just rest. It’ll be fine, he was headed home anyway. ‘Sleep would be nice,’ he thought drifting off. He felt so heavy.  
~~~~  
Jason reached over and patted the backs of his fingers against Tim’s arm insistently. A GSW and a concussion would rule out jostling both his head and chest with attempts to wake him. “Oooh no Baby Bird. No sleeping. You gotta tell me about all your info on our joint case. Give me a report, Red. Tell me everything and don’t stop talking for anything. I’ll make you coffee and let you work for hours at your computer if you can give me a full report until we get to your base.” He would need Tim awake to combat that concussion. He could let the little perfectionist think he’s won for the moment.  
~~~~  
‘Report?’ Tim wondered dimly. ‘Oh yes. The case.’ He promised to give his report to Jason. How stupid? How could he forget that? Jeeze he was tired. He must really need caffeine. He had a job to do. ‘Come on Tim. You can’t sleep yet. Mission first. Mission first... mission...’ He drifted for a moment before snapping to awareness at the persistent tapping on his arm. Almost hitting. Thats not nice. 

“Why... are you hitting me?” He asked slowly working the words out. “You don't have to hit me... fora report.” His words felt slow and clumsy in his mouth.   
~~~~  
Jason stopped his rather forceful tapping when Tim finally responded, “You can’t sleep yet Babybird. You were getting sleepy and I don’t want you sleeping--you can’t sleep.” Jason took a quick breath to steady himself before his panic showed in his voice, “So you gotta give me this report. Tell me everything, tell me anything. I need you to talk to me. You gotta keep talking no matter what or I’m gonna think you fell asleep and I’m gonna start tapping your arm again.”  
~~~~  
“Wasn’t tapping.” Tim pouted petulantly. “It was hitting.” Really it may have been tapping but Tim really felt like a giant bruise at the moment. It could just be him or Jason was hitting, either way he was glad he stopped. “Um...uhok. So the um...” Tim struggled to remember the damn gangs name. The names changed so damn often it was a surprise he bothered to keep up. Was he cranky? He felt a bit cranky. He needed coffee. “...Serpientes Cabeza gained more land in South America. The ... um other one... Sangre Fuego. They want it. The gangs are fighting.” Tim tried his best to think but he just wanted to rest. ‘but sleep... means dreams...’ Tim sighed rock and hard place.   
~~~~  
“Who are the leaders? What are their primary crimes? Who deals in drugs and who brings in the guns?” Who trades in slaves, who kidnaps the kids?” … All questions Jason knew the answer to, but Tim was needing a little direction, “Don’t sleep Babybird, I’ll go right back to your arm.”  
~~~~  
“Generally the same things. Its why they’re fighting. Both run weapons, drugs, petty crimes but Serpientes Cabeza are the big players in kidnapping. All the contacts in the outer rim of the ring have been killed though... They um... All have a drug in their system. I don't know who’s making it, or where its coming from. The other gang, Sangre Fuego... are still smallish. So not in the kidnapping ring yet as far as I know... but I don’t really know much on them... in your territory... Serpientes... Cabeza they uh... have a lot of deaths.” 

Tim trailed off, his mind picking up on something his brain wasn’t quite getting. He sat up with a great amount of difficulty and held onto the dash for support. He wondered if he might be sick for a moment. He needed to clear his head. It just felt so sluggish. He opened the window a bit, letting the cool air help wake him up. It helped to settle his stomach too. “Hey... um...” He rubbed tiredly at his face. “That girl... In the alley. I know her... I know her name. Tiffany. Goes by Tiff. She’s a hooker. Works Serpientes Cabeza area... Jay?”  
~~~~  
“One was dead, the other banged up but fine, I gave the girl one of my tracker phones and told her not to let it go for anything. As soon as I know you’re safe and plugging away at your computer I’ll go do our leg work and talk to her. Two birds, and two birds.” Jason laughed. “Please tell me you got the joke.”  
~~~~  
“Huh?” Tim was sure he might get that later but his brain was thinking on other things. “Jay? Do um... Jay do the Sangre Fuego have deaths like my seven? With the drug in them? Cause... Jay what if someone is cutting into the kidnapping ring? No, It can't be a fight over that, can it.” The more Tim thought the harder the hammer in his head banged away. Yeah that was one serious headache in the making. How didn’t he notice that? “Jay... Jason my head hurts. Please tell me were almost there.”  
~~~~  
As they were pulling into the garage, Jason looked at Tim in worry. “Nearly. I’ll get something in you and you can work at your computer. First though, How many fingers do you see?” Jason jammed three fingers into Tim’s line of sight, one from one hand and two from the other. He had to be SURE.  
~~~~  
“Three? Four?” Tim shoved Jason's hand out of his face. “Can’t really tell with them so close to my face. Crap. Let me think. Having trouble thinking, headache, dizzy, kinda nauseous, tired... really tired. Yeah... concussion. Lovely.” He rested his head back on the seat and hoped he could wish the pain away. “Just what I need...” He closed his eyes against the dizziness, not that the moving tilting sensation stopped but it helped.   
~~~~  
“Hey hey!” Jason said unbuckling himself and dashing to Tim’s side of the car, flinging open the door so hard it bounced back to collide with his side. “If you close your eyes and stop talking I’m going to have to assume you’re asleep. No sleeping. Not a wink. I won’t let you. You are not going to go into a coma and or possibly die on me. I’ll get you coffee, and water, and you’ll take some migraine medication and you’ll work at your computer and i’ll get you some bread and you’ll take another crack at the soup and I’ll do the leg work and you’ll talk to me on the comms while i’m out and you will keep talking no matter what…” Jason broke off, he was babbling. He was babbling and he was scared and Tim was quiet. “Tim?”  
~~~~  
For a moment everything was blissfully dark and calm before the moment came.

Snapping... two birds falling... the first ones.... screaming so much screaming... crying... he hated this moment... not just for himself not himself at all... the one left behind... way up high... so nice... he’s liked him a lot... he didn’t deserve this... the pool of red and brokenness...

Tim? His name... who’s calling?   
~~~~  
“TIM?” Jason is not shouting, he is NOT shouting his throat is too tight to let him, he pats repeatedly at tim’s arm, the one away from his GSW and he shoves his helmet off because suddenly it’s hard to breathe in it. “No sleeping. You aren’t allowed to sleep on me. Tim. TIM. Timothy Drake Wayne if you fall asleep I swear I’ll change all your passwords!”  
~~~~  
Its the tapping he remembers as Jason getting his attention. His name being yelled helped to wake him. He turns to face Jason. It seems bright where they are. Where are they? Home? Whatever he’s glad to be out of that damn recurring dream. “Jason... hmm I’m fine.” He’s not. He just watched Dick’s parents die again, his head hurts and for the first time in months he wants to sleep and Jason won't let him. “You couldn’t do it if you wanted to. 18 digit passwords. Good try tho. Has it been an hour yet? I can sleep after an hour. But I’ll have to wake up every hour.” Was he talking slow or was it just his imagination? “I’ll be fine. Just need some sleep.”  
~~~~  
“Nope, no sleep for Babybird. You were just telling me about how you need to stay up for a whole hour, and no it hasn’t been and I don’t like you nodding off. Keep talking to me Tim, talk about ANYTHING, but please keep awake.” Jason said, carefully, gently and slowly getting a good hold on Tim’s frame and drawing him out of the car and to the bathroom area. He knew from experience Tim kept the first aid kit there for the mirror to help him self-treat his injuries. “Walk me through disengaging your armor securities.” He knew better than to just try and take off Tim’s armor, even an older one.  
~~~~  
Groaning Tim let Jason steer him and instead focused on his armor. He fumbled a little but not much, He did this too often to mess up. “On the back. 3 inches up is a catch release and 2 on either side to the right and left. Then thats it. This one didn’t have much.”

He sat on the bench in the bathroom. By normal standards it was really more like a small locker room than a bathroom. It could accommodate about 3 people, not large but enough for a base. “Um...” He tried to think of what to say to keep Jason from hitting him thinking he might be sleeping again. He sighed, He really didn’t know what to say. “What do you want me to talk about?”  
~~~~  
Jason fumbled, “Tell me…” He paused, many subjects were tender ones at the moment, The Titans, Bats, Dickie, His family… “Um. Tell me about how you build a computer.” Tim was always the most tech savvy of them all, it was his strength, as was his analytical mind. “Tell me how you built yours. It’s a beauty.” That was mostly safe, an interest of Tim’s and only vaguely dangerous because it might remind Tim that he’d only had to build it because Dick fired him.  
~~~~  
“You just need the basics really. Good quality basics but all computers have basically the same parts. Power supply, RAM, motherboard, video card, Sound card, physics card, hard drive, CPU, disc drives... You know, I’m not really into computers? I just happen to be good with them. I like them. A lot. Just... not as passionate about them as Dick thinks.”  
~~~~  
“Yeah? I’ve seen you crack a whole Corporation's system like an egg in nothing flat. You’re not just good at computers Babybird. You’re fucking unreal. You’re like a Unicorn that breaks all the rules of reality and just … does as it pleases.” Jason said, removing Tim’s armor as gently as possible, not bothering with Tim’s mask, it wasn’t necessary right now. “Youch. That’s definitely bleeding through all of Alfred’s pretty wrappings.” Jason rooted around the first aid kit that was the rough size of a small suitcase and began cutting away at the bandages.  
~~~~  
Tim chuckled and looked at Jason disbelievingly. “A unicorn? I don’t know what you heard but I’m not that good.” Tim winced as the bandages started pulling away, the dried blood acting almost like an adhesive. He didn’t comment on it. “Alfred did a good job. My work never looks that nice.”  
~~~~  
“You never work on anyone else but you. If you aren’t fighting your own pain, usually your stitches come out better.” Jason said, noting Tim’s popped stitching at the corner. “I’ve got half a mind to give you a local so you don’t feel your side while I work this. Your body’s under enough stress as it is.” Jason moved to the kit again, getting sterilizer, stitching needle and medical thread the small bottle of local anesthetic and a capped needle. He cleaned the needle, threaded it and noticed that Tim was once again quiet. “Keep talking Babybird. How about a song? Sing something, what’s the last thing you heard on the radio?” Jason pulled an appropriate amount of anesthetic into the injector’s chamber, re-capping the plastic cover over the sharp end just in case Tim didn’t want it.  
~~~~  
“The news.” Tim thought that was just sad thinking back on it. “I can't really remember when I listened to the radio for music. Maybe back... um...” ‘...When Kon and Bart were around. We were in the living room at Bart’s place. We has pizza and played video games...” He thought sadly. “I don’t remember what was playing on the radio. I wasn’t listening to it at the time. I wasn’t the one who turned it on.”   
~~~~  
Jason saw the pain that had nothing to do with the physical in Tim’s eyes and gave Tim the local anyways. “What’s your favorite camera?” Tim liked pictures, but was this a bad subject? The words were out now and there was nothing for it. It probably was a bad subject, Jason beat himself for the words as he knotted the medical thread and waited for the local to take effect. “Or, no wait. Um, what about your favorite food?” Damage done, but no reason not to try and fix it, Jason brushed a finger to the edge of Alfred’s stitching, checking Tim’s face for a wince of pain.  
~~~~  
Tim could barely feel any sensation as Jason touched his GSW. It felt more like the area had just barely a feeling to it. That was nice. The fading pain without the side effects of sedatives was welcome. “Don’t know if I really have a favorite food. Does Alfred cooking count? Um... Pasta? Pizza’s nice sometimes.” It took a little longer to remember the name of the camera he liked. “Photon? no. um... Photron! Photron high speed video cameras. I just got one. Really nice. It does the slow motion videos. Its really cool. I’ve been using it for training, of all things.” He chuckled.   
~~~~  
No blunder. He was spared the idea he had hurt Tim with bad memories. Jason set to work with the needle and thread quickly and efficiently. four close stitches where the first set had popped, and more spaced stitching where there were large gaps in Alfred’s work. Tim would need the extra, Jason could tell already. The result was nearly a solid line of stitching. Even if one of these DID pop, it shouldn’t be cause for alarm with so many to take up the slack. Jason knotted off the thread and cut the excess, he cleaned Tim up and set the needle in alcohol to sterilize once more. The sharp of the needle Jason disposed of. the chamber and depressor he also dumped in the alcohol. He moved to the bandaging portion of the program.

“Tell me about your favorite book.” Jason advised, prompts for Tim to talk about coming easier now.  
~~~~  
"Books... Um H.G.Wells Time Machine, Diana Wynne Jones books, a few classics...Sherlock Holmes is really the only detective books I like... mostly Sci-fi or fantasy stuff... I used to read a lot, haven't had the time...” He shrugged with the side Jason wasn’t working on. He briefly wondered when he was going to get that tylenol. His head was killing him but he just didn’t see the point in asking. Jason was busy stitching him up and he didn’t really have the energy to move at the moment. Besides, odd as it was, he didn’t want the other to move away just yet, or stop touching him. It was strange how used to it he’d become after not having it at all and now he almost would say he craved or even missed it. 

“Stopped seeing the point, since we live sci-fi fantasy everyday. You?" Tim really wasn't sure he had a favorite book. Just a type he liked more often than not. However once his life turned into an adventure novel with more deaths than Game Of Thrones he just stopped reading. Books used to be an escape from loneliness for him. Gave him something to care about and live through. He just couldn’t get into them like he used to. Couldn’t bring himself to care about the characters or stories anymore.   
~~~~  
“Peter Pan.” Jason said, lower than he’d intended so it came out like a secret. Even when the classic novel turned out nothing like the disney movie, Jason had LIKED it. Somehow, it had made it better that the original story was so gritty. Jason tapped gauze, and wrapped bandages in a human interpretation of Alfred’s professional work. There was a bottle of pain killers right there in the first aid kit so Jason nabbed the cup on the sink, filled it halfway, shook out three pills because the milligrams on the bottle were pathetic and handed cap and cup to Tim. “I pronounce you ready to not fall asleep for a while.”  
~~~~  
Taking the offered pills happily he downed then with a sip of water. He hadn’t done well with the soup or water earlier and wasn’t sure how he’d handle it now. “Peter Pan huh? I would not have guessed that about you. Good choice though. I haven’t read it in years. How long’s a while anyway?” Not that he really cared. His mind was starting to clear up a bit. He could feel the fogginess getting lighter, though not going away. Still, he could work with it if he had to. He’d worked through worse.   
~~~~  
“Two hours.” Jason said, “And I KNOW you only said one but you have to sit tight here while I go do our leg work for those two women and Alfred put your health in my hands so YEAH, I’m going to be here to make sure you one, fall asleep, and two, wake up as needed.” He needed his own armor, his own uniform. His bike would be nice. And there was still work to be done. First thing was first though Jason walked Tim over to his console and made sure Tim was comfortable before he got his case file from the car for the other.


	7. revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its so short. The next one should be longer

Tim didn’t bother arguing. Jason was maybe the easiest of all the bats to convince or change his mind but he knew a losing battle when he saw one. He was typing away at the keys and glaring at the monitor when he heard Jason come back. “Drug analysis came back. These are the ingredients. Castor Bean Plant: Ricinus communis, which grows everywhere including people’s gardens. Oleander: Nerium oleander Also stupidly found in peoples gardens. Why do people grow deadly plants is beyond me. Angel Trumpet: Brugmansia... Thats a south American plant. Sometimes used in drugs in colombia but Illegal basically everywhere. Serpientes Cabeza don't mess with it. They’re too superstitious. They call it the zombie plant. Jay do you know anyone who uses this?”  
~~~~  
“Zombie plant is only used by the shamans and vindictive curse weavers down there. I’ve heard of some cults use it in whatever rituals they perform to keep the faithful faithful.” Jason shrugged, “But for street peddling? Only the Firebloods mess with that in Gotham and even then only in small amounts. It’s just not big business.” Jason set down a thumb drive on Tim’s work table. “Babs listened in on my interview with our mugging survivor and compiled a quick file on her and the victim. Gotta love red, she sure keeps this operation running smoother.”  
~~~~  
“The SF have it? How much? It would have to be a lot. I have seven vic’s so far, all with high amounts of this drug in their system.” Tim reflexively plugged in the USB to the computer and brought up the files. “Oh crap. Jay they’re SC hookers. I knew I’d seen them before. Tiff is a favorite of the SC boss, Juan Marquez. She might know something about Santiago going missing about a month ago. You should ask her about it.”  
~~~~  
“GPS in the burn phone I gave her and a severe paranoia after the attack should do for finding her again. She’s asked me to escort her home from the hospital when she gets discharged tomorrow. We’ll see about any information Tiff has about Juan and the other girl Laura.” Jason grabbed a bottle of water, “If that doesn’t sound like a spanish soap opera, I don’t know what does. Tiff and Juan. Sheesh.” Jason drained half the small bottle, “As for the zombie plant, like I said, it’s a side enterprise for the firebloods. Huge amounts of all the traditionals, coke, heroin, ex, spice, even weed. Couple of designer for the leftover venom junkies and the unfortunate few that survive joker gassing only to get addicted. This stuff is the inbetween. you only need about a tank or so of joker gas every few months for your clientele, overdosing is instantly fatal. Venom is dangerous in large amounts cause you can go all monster. Zombie Plant is smaller than the main streams, bigger than the designer. A hundred pounds a shipment tops. Maybe two hundred.”  
~~~~  
“You’d easily need that amount to cook up one, maybe two doses of this though. The drug is watered down with other impure drugs when they sell it on the streets but this is almost pure. This isn’t the Zombie drug. This is pure Angel Trumpet made in a medical grade lab or at least by someone who knows what they’re doing. This is a weapon, not a drug.” Tim rubbed his eyes. He was getting really tired of the slightly blurry vision. It took a moment but Jason’s joke registered and he chuckled. “That does sound like a Telenovela.”  
~~~~  
Jason turned back to Tim. “Did you say, MEDICAL grade lab? Because the firebloods have dock workers in their employ and they’ve been handling medical supplies a lot more often lately. If they are actually smuggled shipments of brugmansia, PURE brugmansia…” Jason trailed off, sinking horror at what he’d missed. They hadn’t been their usual boats. It had been in broad daylight, regular working hours. A reputable shipping company and boat. Only the dock workers stank. Jason had MISSED this. And what had he cost Gotham for his oversight?  
~~~~  
Tim felt as shocked as Jason looked. “Medical supplies would be a perfect cover though. Unless you KNEW how to test it specifically it could easily pass for high grade pain and respiratory medications. I had to send this to the labs to have it broken down because I couldn’t identify it. There’s no way you could have known.” Tim hoped Jason would understand and not beat himself up over missing it. It took five dead people before he noticed it wasn’t what he’d thought it was.

“Question is, who are they handing it over to and why are they using it on the SC. Look.” He pulled up and laid out all the files on the victims so far. “ANY of their other injuries could have killed them. Why use the drug at all? Its almost like a serial killer MO except I have proof,” He pulled up surveillance footage of one of the attacks, “There’s more than one killer every time. Each kill is too different and the evidence says that each death was done by a different person.”  
~~~~  
“Great. A serial killer CULT.” Jason said, draining his water bottle so he could throw the thing away. “It’s gotta be a cult. Wacked out behaviour aside, only the seriously wack-a-doodled go for zombie plant.”

TAKE the praise. TAKE the forgiveness. ACCEPT the consolation. Jason ordered himself. The alternative was going back to the live rounds in his boots. And he was doing so well. He had a streak of over four months. If he could rack up six he would let himself have a whole night off with Alfred.  
~~~~  
Breaking into snickers he looked at Jason. “The Wack-a-doodle Cult? Cause, sorry but, Zombie cult is taken. Doesn’t really have a deadly ring to it. League of Assassins or Council of Spiders... Those say serial killer cults. Wack-a-doodle just isn’t going to cut it. Oh god, I think I have brain damage. I don’t usually say this crap out loud.”  
~~~~  
Jason raised an eyebrow at his successor, checked his watch and found it to be two and a half hours since he left Tim. “You haven’t slept yet?” He shouldn’t have, stubbornness and work should have seen to that. Tim might actually be tired, could possibly be a little loopy but Jason doubted brain damage. At worst a little Brain-to-mouth filter damage.  
~~~~  
“Only if you sedating me counts.” Tim raised a brow. “Not sure if that counts... Yeah, I think it counts. You know, Unconsciousness... sleep. Same thing. Besides who can sleep with all these revelations?! I’ve spent weeks on this and I’ve gotten more done with a GSW and a concussion then I have since I started. Wow that’s pathetic... My god I need to stop talking. I keep forgetting you are hearing this.” Tim rubbed his face in frustration. He’d gotten so used to talking to himself he was forgetting Jason was listening and this time he wasn’t imaginary. He’d started doing that after Kon died. Talking to people like they were there just to pretend he wasn’t alone. He hadn’t thought about the possible consequences of it.  
~~~~  
“That settles that. You’re going to bed for an hour. I’ll wake you in an hour, ask you to recite the Declaration of Independence, and if you do, I’ll let you go back to work some before you have to sleep again.” Jason said, pulling Tim’s chair away from the console. Shit, the boy was STILL wearing his mask, Jason wondered how often he forgot about that.  
~~~~  
Making a futile reach for the desk and missing Tim let his hands drop. “Your lucky I know the first bit of the Declaration by heart... yeah ok maybe the rest too. I can’t help a photographic memory ok? Its not like I chose to memorise it. I just thought I should read it, now I can't forget it.”  
~~~~  
“If you weren’t able to recite the declaration, I was going to make you go through the standard concussion Q and A and send you right back to sleep. So in effect, it’s lucky for YOU you have the Declaration memorized, isn’t it?” Jason countered, grabbing the bottle of solvent he kept in his jacket and removing Tim’s mask. “Go on. Where’s your cot in this place?  
~~~~  
“Um...” Tim tried not to flinch away as Jason pulled the mask from his face. The pull always stung a bit though he didn’t usually bother with much solvent. Jason was being gentle and It was hard to resist moving to tear it off quicker. “I live here. My living space is through there.” He pointed to a locked door to his left, biometric scanner secured. There was a full 3 bedroom apartment on the other side. He used one room more like a storage space though it was still useable as an extra room, while the second room was set up for a guest room, for god knows what reason. Its not like he ever had anyone over, ever. The furthest anyone has been in the base is computer. no one ever stays for long if they do visit. Damian said he would at some point join in a movie night and Tim made sure the guest room was ready should anyone need it. “I have like two guest rooms if you need a place to stay. My room is at the end of the hall.”


	8. Family stabbings... It happens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry Its been so long! I've had class finals and stuff and Vera has been busy as well, but here's a new chapter.

Of course he LIVES where he works. Little Tim-Tim hadn’t just BOUGHT the theater in crime alley to refurbish it, to make it a decent part of Gotham again, he was going to work there. Close enough to Bruce’s legacy that he feels decent enough to allow himself, but distant from all of them. “Okay, lets go. Do you need something to lean on?”

At least Tim felt like he was able to be next to the site where Bruce’s parents died. Jason had deliberately started his safehouses in the absolute worst parts of town on sheer principle. He’d moved to better locales since then, but ALL of his safe houses and dives and supply checkpoints even were good distances from Bat and Co. Jason himself had not felt entitled enough to try and revive some dark corner of Bruce’s past. Only Tim would have thought to make that first black mark on Bruce’s memory into something good.

‘There are days Old man? That I think you never actually deserved a single one of us.’ Jason winced, and he’d meant it when he’d said it, but he also regretted it now.  
~~~~  
“No. I’m fine just tired.” Tim scoffed. Why would he need to lean on something? Standing, he watched as the room MAY have tilted to the right... Just a little, and felt like he was trying to walk over a giant bowl of jello. He shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping that would steady the room. It was a damn good thing he was hanging on to something, or something was hanging onto him, whatever. ‘Ok maybe now is not the time to get all stubborn, Tim.’ “Ok, maybe something wouldn’t go unwanted, but this changes nothing. I’m still fine.”   
~~~~  
“When I told Alfred I’d always wanted a baby brother…” Jason chided gently, stepping behind Tim, putting one arm on Tim’s far forearm and gripping Tim’s other hand in his. It was an unoppressive hold for someone so much shorter than he was, he would be able to catch Tim no matter what way he tipped. “You set the pace Babybird.”  
~~~~  
Standing and walking weren’t the problem, the dizziness and pulsing in his head were the issues. The pain meds were only good for so much and the throbbing in his head was making him lean toward the right. Exactly where he’d come in contact with the wall. Tim compensated for the tilt and stubbornly made for the door. It took a moment to piece together what Jason said through the head pulsing but when it did he just had to ask. “You asked Alfred, for a baby brother?”   
~~~~  
“Well, no, not exactly.” There wasn’t really an ASKING ever. “But Alfred and I spent a lot of my younger years getting my education up to Pennyworth standards and we got close. If I happened to mention that I’d always wanted to have a younger brother to him over tea in the middle of a lecture on how to conduct oneself at table with full dining sets… Then that happened.” Tim was starting to auto correct for his injuries, something amazing as far as Jason was concerned, but he was also just a little off in the way he spoke. It sounded tight, like Tim was fighting pain as he spoke, and he’d taken noticeably longer to respond in the first place. That followed with the concussion and the GSW but it didn’t make Jason feel better about it.   
~~~~  
“Thats... actually kind of an adorable image.” Finally reaching the damn door it took him a good moment to try to remember the damn pass code. “I really should make this easier to remember...” He mumbled to himself, dialing in the code to disarm the door and letting it scan him in. “I always wanted siblings too.” After another moment of thought he added, “Sorry you got stuck with me... and Damian. A lot of stabbing in this family...”  
~~~~  
Jason was JUST going to reply to that when he realized that MOST of the stabbing happened TO Tim. Oh sure, he’d gotten the Al’Ghul welcome from Damian himself but he wasn’t the one Damian had manifested a PERSONAL vendetta at. After all, Jason hadn’t been Robin. Not for years at that point. And he was just as guilty for stabbing Tim. Broken bones hospitalizations, stabbings, firings. Shit. Jason suddenly realized who the family whipping boy was. Suddenly he just didn’t want to know. The idea that he’d played party to that, Jason would rather ignore it. “And isn’t that just part of the problem?” He muttered, not realizing he’d said it out loud as he helped Tim to the bed.  
~~~~  
Tim shrugged, “There’s yelling, and hitting, and stabbing, and silence. Thats how it works. Get stabbed, move on. Damian and I have gotten past most of it. On ok terms last I knew.” Reaching out he used his arm to be sure of the actual distance to the bed before he made the attempt to sit down. The last time he had a concussion he’s misjudged the distance from himself to the medical cot and fell on his face in front of Bruce. ‘Dark times.’

“‘Sides, he just needed to work stuff out. It happens.” Tim sat carefully trying not to make the spinning worse and sighed once finally seated. ‘No face plants tonight.’  
~~~~  
‘Sitting down like he was 80 years older than he actually is,’ Jason winced. It was good to hear that Dick’s “Little Wing” and Jason’s “Baby Bird” were starting to get on. This was actually, the first Jason had heard about it. He just didn’t CHECK on his old family like he should. When had he last checked in with Roy? Shit.

What was more was Jason was starting to realize what Tim was like. He accepted that Damian had to stab him to work stuff out. Had accepted that Jason had nearly killed him a time or two. ‘It happens,’ suddenly seemed like a dangerous concept and again Jason found himself just NOT wanting to know this was how he’d treated Tim. His dream where he’d grabbed stuff from across the table for Tim suddenly seemed selfish. He suddenly didn’t want younger brothers if this was how he was going to treat them. 

‘Maybe I don’t deserve this family after all, if this is how I treat them.’ and Jason’s mind immediately balked at the thought, resolving all at once to never again be undeserving of what he’d gotten back after having lost it once.  
~~~~  
Checking to be sure his laptop was with in arms reach Tim laid down slowly so as to not pop a stitch or aggravate his already pounding head. It took a moment to realise he was laying on top of the covers and quickly decided he wasn’t willing to move so he just really couldn’t care. “Where’s my...?” His hand flew to his ear to check for his comm only to find he didn’t have it in. “My comm. There’s one in my desk drawer.” He sighed and sat up a little.   
~~~~  
“Why do you sleep with a comm in your ear?” HOW did he sleep with a comm in his ear? Jason wouldn’t be able to DO that. Jason could sleep like the dead some nights, but with his bat training he could wake to the sounds of his cell phone vibrating from across his bedroom no matter what.   
~~~~  
“Beats having to get up to answer a phone. Don’t you sleep with one?” Tim actually assumed ALL the bats slept with their comms either in their ear or very close by. Dick usually left his under his pillow for the same reason Tim just left his on in his ear. So they could hear if something happens. The ‘something really bad to a loved one’ something. After everything, losing so many people, it was hard not to want to keep 24/7 tabs and Tim would never admit that he just couldn’t sleep till he heard everyone check in ‘ok’ and at home safe. 

On bad nights when he really couldn’t sleep he just left the comm on and let everyone’s voices calm him. “Besides, no one calls a cell with Bat business.” ‘Or maybe they just don’t call me.’ “Either way it’s better than having to answer a cell phone every hour for you to wake me up.”   
~~~~  
“I couldn’t do it. having something in my ear drives me nuts. I can’t sleep like that. It’s good for stakeouts. besides which, my main comm is in my helmet.” Along with a small explosive, a respirator, and small voice distorter just in case. His visor alone had photon activated light filters, night vision capabilities, infrared and a GPS tracker just in case he needed to keep tabs on a particular mark.. The damn thing was actually HEAVY. Aside from the explosive, it was so tightly packed with little odds and ends and padding, the damn thing actually made a good riding helmet. “I do keep a secondary in my ear in case the helmet comes off though. like i said, good for keeping me up during stakeouts.

“On my off time though? I hotwired my cell to pick up the emergency frequency and my frequency.” Maybe he should rework it to pick up all the frequencies. but no, then it would never stop ringing. Maybe Tim’s? But if Tim needed him he could just ring Jason’s frequency. Jason heaved a sigh, moving to collect the ear-piece Tim seemed to want. He handed it to Tim, checking an impulse to gently push Tim back down so he could lay down properly.  
~~~~  
Tim took the comm and made a disgusted face, “If I forwarded my comm to my cell it would never stop ringing. All it does now is tell me when I’m not doing something I should at WE, or some fundraiser, or whatever horrid crisis is going on. I like comms better. I can hear what’s happening, I don’t have to wait to find out later.” Tim really hated his cell for all the bad information and reminders it threw at him all the time. 

There was a time when he’d loved hearing the text message sound. Hearing he had a message from one of his friends but that quickly became a source of annoyance. That loved tone mocked him. It lied to him and he hated it for it. Most all of his messages were even sent to his email just to avoid hearing it go off. “Thanks Jay.” He laid back down, still not bothering with the covers. It was just so much work. “I just need to rest a minute. I’m fine.” He could already feel himself being pulled into sleep.   
~~~~  
‘Fine’ seemed to be Tim’s word of choice for when he wanted to cover all bases of how he felt so someone wouldn’t worry about him. A concussion, a GSW, banged up and bruised, no food in the stomach, an insomniac, and dizzy with a headache to top it all off like a pretty picture. Oh yes, he was FINE, as anyone could tell. Jason nearly spat out an argument, but he left the silence reign so Tim could sleep. He left the room, making sure the door was left open and sat at Tim’s computer. Time, Jason thought, to research.


	9. Nightmares and Comms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is one long tag my me. Lots of angst, blood, and graphic imagery here. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
> 
> More to come soon!

‘Its dark ‘

so dark. ‘too dark to see. Hello?’

“where were you?” A sad voice calls from the dark.

‘a voice. who’s voice? who’s there?’

“TIIIIIMMM! WHERE WERE YOU?!” So sad and so angry... so hurt.

‘Bruce? W-where? Where was I when? What happened?’ Panic, like a cold run of water down his spine into his gut and freezing his chest. ‘What happened? BRUCE?!’

Light floods the room and he can see. See... the bodies. 

‘Oh god...’

Dick’s body lays at his feet, mangled and broken. Limbs twisted in impossible ways... neck definitely broken... like his parents... like... 

Snapping... two birds falling... the first ones.... screaming so much screaming... crying... he hated this moment... not just for himself not himself at all... the one left behind... way up high... so nice... he’s liked him a lot... he didn’t deserve this... the pool of red and brokenness...

‘No! No no no no no no no no no no no...’ He can’t breathe. Why can’t he scream?

Dicks broken hand clutches Damian’s lifeless one next to him. The young... too young... boy lays bloodied... more blood out than in... So many knives he looks like a pincushion. Next to him is Barbara... so so broken and missing.... missing parts... 

‘Why?’ He can feel the sobs breaking open his chest... and yet still no relief from the pain... He feels one drop... then two... then... rain. Its raining... its red... 

‘Don’t look up, don't look up, don't look up, don't look up,’ He cant stop. He looks. He wishes he hadnt.

Everyone. Everyone he loves. Jason, Kon, Bart, Alfred, his parents, all the Titans and the justice league... Hanging from the ceiling like puppets. Broken and tied up. Dangling and crying blood. 

“Why Tim?!” They ask. They beg to know. “Why didn’t you save us? Why did you let us die? Why did you do this to us?! Why? WHY TIM?! ITS YOUR FAULT!!” They’re screaming angry and hurt. 

‘I’M SORRY! PLEASE I’M SO SORRY! I TRIED! PLEASE! please. please. please. please. please. please.’ falling. so much falling...

‘Somebody please help me!’

-Beep beep-

‘please.’

-Beep beep-   
‘The comm?’ Tim presses a shaking finger to the button. His chest is tight and head throbbing in time with his GSW. ‘Just listen. Listen.’ 

-N?

R? What’s up?

-How did he seem?

Who? The suicide attempt you just LEFT here on the bridge? Cause he’s shaky, but fine.

-You KNOW I am not the appropriate person to console a jumper. I left him in capable hands, yours. And I meant T.

Jay says he’s sleeping. And aww, I got complimented, that’s awesome.

-I KNOW what J said I was on the line. How did he seem when you were with him?

…

-N?

He seemed… Sad.

-I’m going to wring your neck N. You are NOT being informative.

=R, Patience.

-...Yes sir.

Lighten up the pair of you, He seemed sad and a bit belligerent about us fussing over him. Typical behavior for one of the family.

=Belligerent?

Heh, B, Imagine being threatened with bedrest and how compliant you would be. He couldn’t WAIT to get out from Nurse Ratchet.

+I beg your pardon?

Why are you on the line?! You didn’t hear that!

-*laughter*

=*a small chuckle*

+*a polite chuckle*

Tim listened quietly, reassuring himself everyone was fine. They were alive and well. Even if Damian left some poor sap tied to something. They were alive and ok... and talking about him. 

Talking about him. That was odd and disconcerting. 

‘Dick thought I was... He notic-. No. No, he didn't see.’ It was both a relief and a horrid pain. They saw him just a bit but didn’t notice his failure. Saw he was hurting but didn’t see his cracks. It was a war inside his chest all the time. He wanted to scream. He wanted to stay silent. He wanted to be seen. He wanted to stay invisible. 

His biggest problem, he knew, is he didn’t know what he needed. Told himself he didn’t need anything.   
“I’m fine.” He mumbled.


	10. Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is enjoying this fic so far! Vera and I are feedback junkies so please let us know and thank you everyone for the Kudo's and comments so far you guys really keep us going! THANK YOU!

*Beep Beep Be-beep!*  
~~~~  
It was his private line. Who would be calling if everyone was on the main line? He pressed the line to answer.

“Red Robin.” He didn’t bother to adjust his voice, he wasn’t awake enough for that.  
~~~~  
“You’re cute Babybird. Acting like you’re on duty and all that. Declaration of Independance time. Gimme.” Jason said, and knew that if Tim was listening, he could hear the real life echo of his words from down the hall at the workstation.  
~~~~  
‘Oh yeah. Declaration.’ Tim mentally pulled up the text of the document and simply read from the image in his head, not caring if he was talking into his pillow tiredly, since Jason already knew he was in bed. Tim could hear the muffled sound of Jason somewhere in the apartment. It was a good feeling. Having someone else there.  
“IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.  
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,  
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” He sighed. “Do you really want me to read the whole thing? Its not exactly short.”  
~~~~  
Jason sputtered out a laugh, “Damn babybird. What the heck, I’ll let you off easy since you’ve got enough in you to get a little huffy.” Jason stretched, allowing the groan to be heard through the comm, “When you feel like it, I’ve been tinkering with our cases, trying to shuffle them into a singular case. I texted Tiff, but the cops aren’t done with her and she’s not out of the hospital yet. as soon as she’s free I’ll conduct our interview. I think you’ll want to be up and about for that.” There was no question. Tim would make himself up for it, it was the babybird’s overachieving nature.  
~~~~  
“Thanks, I think.” ‘Letting me off easy? Like I would actually sit and recite the whole thing for his amusement. Yeah, no. He’s got enough to mock me with.’ Tim sighed. “Alright, I’ll be up in a minute.”  
~~~~  
“Don’t rush.” Jason reminded him. “The work’s not going anywhere. And if you need something to steady you, I left one of my old canes in there. Don’t use your bow staff. It’s a weapon not a walking aid.” Jason thought of the aluminum cane he’d left in Tim’s room, Tim’s theater base was close to one of Jason’s safehouses, and the cane was from an injury that had produced a handy disguise prop. He made a pretty decent old man with the right makeup and wardrobe while shuffling along with his old cane.  
~~~~  
“I’m fine Jay...” He mumbled drifting off a bit. He was tired and already laying down. It was so comfortable. just to rest his eyes for a moment...

...

Blood raining down on him... The bodies reached out to him... 

“Tim! Why?! Its your fault! Its your fault! Its your fault!”

‘No please! I’m so sorry.’ 

He whimpered and clung to the blankets. 

“Its your fault! Its your fault! Its your fault!” 

the hands grabbed and pulled, shaking him back and forth, pulling at him.

‘No please! I’m sorry!’  
“Please! No... ‘m sorry!” He cried and shot up. ‘Where? Oh god! What?! Someone please help!’ He felt like he couldn’t breath, his chest was tight and everything hurt.  
~~~~  
Jason was up out of the seat so fast he was nearly to Tim’s door by the time he heard the chair clatter to the floor, Jason rounded the corner of the room and saw Tim lying in bed panting hard. The poor kid looked like he’d run a marathon after he’d seen a ghost. Jason moved into the room slowly, not knowing if he was wanted or needed. Jason had guessed from the light breathing noises from the Comm in his ear that Tim had fallen asleep again, but Jason had been fine with that. It was damn healthy even. The sheer terror in Tim’s voice however was NOT.  
~~~~  
Shooting up in a sitting position so quickly left him dizzy and in so much pain. He couldn’t remember where he was. Was he still in the dream? Was it a dream? Was this the dream? 

Curling up he put his head to his knees and hands in his hair and just tried to slow his breathing. “I’m ok, I’m ok, I’m ok, I’m ok,I’m ok, I’m ok,” he mumbled like a mantra, hoping if he said it enough it’d become true.  
~~~~  
Jason was once again moving before he thought and he was on the bed, curled gently over Tim, holding where he knew there were no hurts, running his hand up and down the side of Tim’s back that had no stitches, mumbling back, “You’re okay, I’m here.” over and over to try and get Tim to stop trying to hyperventilate himself.

Nightmares. They all had them. Even Jason, who dreamed of his coffin and digging his way out. Dreamed of the ocean of blood he’d set flowing, dreamed of the explosion. Dreamed of the Bruce’s retreating back. Jason knew, he understood. Maybe a little too well.  
~~~~  
It took what felt like forever for the images to fade. To come back to himself and out of the dream. The smell of the apartment and gunpowder and smoke were what caught his attention first. He was in his apartment. Jason was there. Jason was holding him. 

Holding him. Touching. Gently rubbing his back and... telling him he was ok, that Jason was there. It opened a whole new flood of emotion and he sobbed with it. It took a moment to realise it was a feeling of relief. It was the first time someone had been there when he woke from these dreams. It felt impossible and he wanted it so bad it was more of a need. His hands went from his hair to Jason’s shirt. He just wanted to touch. To hold and be held. Just for a second. Just one.  
~~~~  
The minutes ticked by and Jason didn’t stop his mumbling of comforts. Tim had stopped affirming he was okay himself but far from comforting Jason. Tim had started losing it in near hysterical sobbing and Jason was really just along for the ride at this point on Tim’s roller coaster of emotion. He’d needed this, wanted this very thing when he woke up to the nightmares, but he’d been alone so he’d take it out on street thugs. He could give Tim this. It was all too clear that Tim NEEDED this.  
~~~~  
It was a guilty pleasure if there ever was one. He felt awful doing this to Jason yet so glad to have him there, holding him. Slowly Tim calmed and with shuddering breaths started to whisper, “I’m sorry. I’m ok. I’m sorry. I’m ok.” He didn’t move. He just couldn’t let go. He wasn’t ready. But he’d already made Jason sit and hold him for how long already? He had to let him go. Had to... Any second.  
~~~~  
“You’re good. Hey, it’s fine. Take your time. Take it easy. Shush, Shuuuush. Don’t have to be sorry. Hey, come here. It’s fine, You’re good. It’s alright.” Jason had no pattern like Tim seemed to have. “Lean on me. I got ‘cha. Everything’s gonna be okay.” All he kept thinking about was how much he’d wanted someone to tell HIM these things. “You can stay right where you are if you need it.”

Oh, okay, OUCH that last one had NEVER been said to him, and that hurt.  
~~~~  
“Please...Please...” All the words Jason was giving him were going straight to his chest. His heaving, broken, and battered chest. Something broke. He felt it. It was sad and desperate and lonely and reached out. Whispered to him, Jason, we can trust him. He understands, he’s always understood and we understood him. 

“Please stay Jason! Please don’t leave! You can stay here... You can... if you-you want? You can stay! Please stay?” I want you to stay! I wanted to ask for so long. Please don’t hate me for wanting you to stay.  
~~~~  
Tim was crazy if he thought that Jason would leave him now. But the desperation in his voice sounded like there was more to the statement then just the here and now. Time to word everything really carefully Todd. Jason thought to himself. Jason stopped rubbing Tim’s back, but never stopped the flow of soft words from his mouth, doubtless they were getting a bit less coherent as he devoted more of his brain to determining what Tim meant.

“I won’t leave tonight.” Jason finally said, then broke into platitudes again when he heard a hard hiccup from Tim, “I won’t leave you tonight and we’ll talk about the rest when we’re both calm and we’ll go from there. That’s not a no, that’s a ‘lets be clear on what we’re talking about.’ Like you’re always doing to me, right Babybird?” Jason’s hand started rubbing gently at the uninjured portion of Tim’s back again, “I don’t want to promise something you didn’t intend.”  
~~~~  
“You can stay here!” He wanted to make Jason understand. Wanted him to know this wasn’t just a right now request. It wasn’t a thought brought on by a spur of the moment whim. There were reasons he worked with Jason. He liked Jason a lot. Far more than he was able to admit. He like talking to him and working with him and just being with him. He let Jason take him home and care for him. Why couldn’t he see that? 

“You don't -ve-ta go...” He sobbed. “Stay...” He held Jason tighter curled closer to him listening to Jason and the lull of his voice.  
~~~~  
He wants me to move in. Jason thought, and it MIGHT just be the best thing he could do for his little brother at this point. But if he made this decision without thinking it through he was going to talk himself out of it later kicking himself in the ass for it the whole way. 

Tim needed him to move in, that was apparent. But Jason hadn’t lived with anyone since he’d been Bruce’s ward. He’d been a little shit and had only gotten worse since. Tim was way too emotionally unstable to be living with an asshole.

And what could happen to the little perfectionist if I DON’T move in?

The thought was almost not worth the pain it caused to acknowledge it. “If you want me to stay.” Shit, the words were already out of his mouth, now Jason had to make it so he didn’t box himself in! “I’ll stay as long as you want me.” There, that was good right? That way, when Jason was a shit head, Tim could kick him out and it would be no hard feelings. Just the end of a roommate agreement.  
~~~~  
“k...ok, ok.” Tim nodded and held on to Jason. ‘Jason is going to stay. I wont be alone. Not alone. We’re ok. We’ll be ok.’ Tim didn’t know what else to do but hold on against the torrent of emotions. He just felt so tired and hurt and relieved he didn’t know what to do with it all. He finally had some hope. If even just a little. Jason would stay. For however long he had him. Jason would stay.


	11. Sweet Child O Mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, So New Chapter! Yay! 
> 
> So from what I understand the writing style/ format is hard to read and we apologize for that but like we've said before and have tagged the warning from the beginning, this is an RP. Its not a fic. We really don't know how to fix the format other than to rewrite this as a fic and neither of us have the time to do that. We're sorry. We'll continue to post the RP here and we hope you'll stick with us and continue to read! Thank you for the feedback as it means a LOT to us. Please keep letting us know what you think! Thank you. Enjoy!

Tim seemed to be coming to the natural end of his crying fit. The poor guy looked ready to drop, so Jason kicked off his boots and shifted himself on the bed so he could support Tim as he leaned the other back in bed. “How’s your head?” For Jason, crying was never a fun or pain free experience when really putting forth effort into the activity. Tim would likely sleep more after this, and the resulting headache would have to be dealt with. Water. Tim needed water NOW. “Can I get up and get you some water?” He didn’t want his leaving to the bathroom setting Tim off. Not that he thought that Tim would start howling if he left for the bathroom, but he would rather not take chances and have to fix another of his own mistakes. He was rather getting tired of the old practice.  
~~~~  
“Hurts.” Tim mumbled and nodded slowly to Jason’s second question. Water would be nice. Sleep without nightmares would be nice too. He really hated crying. It always wore him out like training never could. It usually left his head pounding, his eyes burning, and his chest sore. This time it made all that worse with his injuries.   
~~~~  
“Wait here for me.” Jason said, after he made sure Tim was comfortable on the pillows, “I’ll be right back, alright?” And for some reason he thought he sounded like he was asking permission to come back into the room. Today was too much, Jason needed to step back from it for a little bit. This point WOULD be the part where he found a mentor or ally to confide in, too bad most of his friendly contacts within the family weren’t in the next room. Dick and Alfred, when he could work up the courage to admit he failed Alfred’s simple instructions and had allowed Tim to not only go out, but get hurt under his watch. Telling either of the two was as good as telling Bruce himself, and Jason had already failed the man once in the last 24 hours, he didn’t need to do it again so soon. Jason found himself in the bathroom without knowing how he’d walked there. The painkillers were still on the counter but whether they were there out of an act of negligence or foresight, Jason wasn’t willing to explore. He shook out two and dry swallowed them, pouring a cup of water for Tim and shaking out two more pills for the other.  
~~~~  
Tim watched him go. Watched and listened carefully. It was moments like these he wished he could read minds. What was Jason thinking of him? Was he mad? Was he going to call Bruce or Dick? Dick had mentioned talking to Jason earlier. 

He sat up slowly, and stared at the door. Jason wouldn’t call them would he? Jason wouldn’t tell them how bad he failed. If he was going to he would have told Dick right? Dick had told Damian he was fine so that meant Jason hadn’t told him because Dick always told Bruce. If it was something like this Dick would either have told Bruce or be here yelling at him himself. 

Jason hadn’t told. Jason hadn’t told. 

‘See? We CAN trust him.’ 

‘I know Kon.’

‘No I don’t think you do.’  
~~~~  
Jason walked back to the room, thankful that he’d been aware at least, of THIS movement and handed cap and water to Tim, placing the painkillers on a shelf out of reach of the bed. Instinct had him crawling back into the bed with Tim and humming Sweet Child Of Mine just because he knew all the lyrics perfectly. Tim needed sleep, and Jason was willing to wait for Tim to sleep before he made moves to go back to work for a while.  
~~~~  
Tim felt relieved when Jason came back. He took the pills with a few swallows of water and prayed he’d keep it down. He felt awful. Hit by a truck awful. 

He watched as Jason crawled into the bed with him, and his chest and throat felt clogged up with emotions. Jason would stay. Tim listened to Jason humm and it took a moment for him to recognise the Guns n’ Roses song for what it was. It was just so perfectly Jason. He moved to lay down and hesitated, wondering how close Jason would let him be.   
~~~~  
Jason shifted as Tim shifted, sitting at the headboard while the other seemed to shift to him. Tim… wanted cuddles? Jason wasn’t sure about that, the closest he’d ever come to such things was accidently falling asleep on the couch with Bruce after patrol a few times. Honestly Jason is pretty sure he’s never slept with someone he hasn’t… well… Slept with. And even then he would usually leave during the night. He’s relatively good at slipping out of a bed delicately. Probably not good enough for a bat, but hey, they would see.  
~~~~  
Tim chose not to press his luck with Jason. The guy was already giving him so much he wasn’t sure he could ask for more, so he didn’t. He laid down as close to Jason as he could without actually touching him, except for one hand laid gently on his side, just to reassure himself the older boy was in fact actually there. 

“Thank you.” He sighed content for the first time in so long he didn’t want to think about it. “Thank you.”  
~~~~  
‘She’s got eyes of the bluest skies, and if they thought of rain, I’d hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain.’

Oddly appropriate, Jason thought, taking note of Tim’s non-touching proximity and the hand pressed against his leg. “...pray for the thunder, and the rain, to quietly pass me by…” Jason sang softly, an octave lower than the song usually ran, but he didn’t have the vocal range to exactly emulate the Guns and Roses classic. He hummed the second guitar solo and ran a hand through Tim’s hair idly. Probably not the most calming lullaby Jason could have picked, but it was what came to mind. He hoped Tim would fall asleep quickly, he was waiting for Tiff to call him from the burn phone. Suddenly having marked progress on their case was important to Jason, and he wanted to have that marked progress before Tim was up and able to head out again.

‘Heh, it’s been a while since I had someone I wanted to make proud of me. It doesn’t feel like a bad thing.’ Jason mused.  
~~~~  
That hand in his hair and song in the air had him calming and relaxing by leaps and bounds. The hand in his hair felt amazing. He could already feel his eyes closing and body relaxing into sleep Just mentally drifting it occurred to him he would never be able to listen to this song again without thinking of this moment and god that was wonderful. He’d never had that before. A song to link with a good memory. His mother only listened to classical and his father listen to the news. They weren’t really music people. They were travel around the world people, so he didn’t grow up with any strong attachments to music. He loved music as a beautiful art form but his tastes were just too eclectic to have favorites. He was sure this would be his favorite though. 

It wasn’t long before he was asleep again, scooting closer to Jason in his sleep till he was practically hugging him. Closer to his warmth, his voice, nose buried in his scent and so content.   
~~~~  
‘Well, now what?’ Jason thought to himself blankly as suddenly half his side was enveloped in Tim’s warm sleeping embrace. He had work to do to make progress on their case, he had a witness to attend to… He had his little brother holding him hostage in his bed.

He had his cellphone. Jason kept humming, even after he finished the song only to repeat it, and carefully set his phone to silent, lights only. Tim couldn’t possibly wake to lights on his phone right? Well, they would find out. 

‘-D  
help. babybird doing the sleep cling.  
how do i get free?  
-J’  
~~~~  
‘-J  
You actually got him to fall asleep around   
you? That’s so not fair! How’d you do it?   
He doesn’t sleep around people! I’d know,  
I tried.   
-D’

Tim didn't stir at all even through the fingers tapping out texts.   
~~~~  
‘What the heck is fair and unfair about someone deciding to SLEEP?’ Jason wondered, but thought it wasn’t worth arguing the point over with Dick.

‘-D  
sweet child o mine acapella   
humming. now how do i get out of   
his cling w/o waking him?  
-J’  
~~~~  
Dick rolled his eyes, slightly annoyed and hurt that Jason gets Tim to lay down and cuddle of all things, something he’s been wanting to do for years, and Jason wants out. 

‘-J  
T is too paranoid to fall asleep around  
people. I have no idea how to help you.  
I barely get him to cuddle for 10 mins!  
Idk. Switch places with something?  
-D’  
~~~~  
‘-D  
youre as helpful as a concussion.  
this kid sleeps w/ only 1 pillow. how  
is this possible?

tag out? y/n? lol  
-J’

Was Jason a dork? Very possibly, but also he’d been texting Stephanie a lot lately and had picked up some bad habits. Well so what, if Dick teased him it would only prove Jason to be young and hip to text lingo and Dick to be an old fart with ED. So there.  
~~~~  
‘-J  
I can’t. I have my beat shift in 3 hours,  
& a case that never dies. Sorry JayBird,  
You’ll just have to enjoy the cuddle.  
-D’

Dick snickered and finally entered his apartment. ‘Three hours to sleep. Not bad. They’ll be fine, right?’  
~~~~  
Jason snorted, It was hard to forget that the first Robin had taken up post as a beat cop. A damn PRETTY beat cop. Only after realizing he’d actually made a sound and a significant shift by doing so did Jason stare nervously at Tim, ‘PLEASE don’t let me have woken the babybird up after all this effort to put him to sleep.’ Jason picked up his soft humming of Sweet Child o’ Mine and his hair stroking just in case, only gentler than before. He mentally kicked his own ass for forgetting himself long enough to actually SNORT. He’d obviously been alone for too long. He would be better.  
~~~~  
Tim shifted and inhaled at the sound, fingers stretched ready to grab a weapon when he smelled leather, smoke, and Jason. Felt the hand in his hair and the soft hum of his new favorite song and swiftly fell back asleep, pressing his face into Jason and sighing.   
~~~~  
‘That did exactly NOTHING useful to help my situation.’ Jason groused to himself, ‘And I totally woke Tim. He sleeps light as fuck, how the hell am I supposed to get OUT of here?’ Jason didn’t want to be stuck in Tim’s arms when Tiff called, he didn’t want to have to WAKE Tim just to try and let the other fall asleep without him. Though to hear Dick tell it Tim never allowed for anything otherwise. What was really the problem when a lone sleeper can’t seem to sleep alone?

Jason didn’t want the answer to his question, as it applied to himself all too easily.  
~~~~  
Laughter broke through the quiet and frigid air. 

“Come on old man!” Bright colors. He could see them so clearly, even though the camera lens. Red, yellow, green bright as day across the gotham skyline. 

“I bet you can't keep up!” A dark figure watched the boy jump and leap around happily. 

‘He’s different. smaller. younger. Not Dick for sure. Must be Mr. Wayne’s new son. Jason.’ The boy, obviously older than him by a couple of years if his height was something to go by, stopped and smiled at the dark, still figure. Batman. 

Then it happened. The strangest thing. Batman smiled back. Batman smiled. He rushed to take the picture and a few more just incase. High speed camera. He would develop them later. 

“This is AWESOME!” Jason burst into laughter. Tim smiled too. He liked this Robin. He wasn’t Dick who he loved but he could love Jason too right? Jason’s part of their family and Tim liked him already. He made Batman smile. Tim wondered if Dick and Jason hung out a lot. Jason shot a line and jumped followed by Batman. 

‘I like him. Jason’

“Jason” Tim sighed in his sleep.   
~~~~  
Jason twitched, just his arm but he hadn’t been expecting the babybird to say his NAME. Luckily it was the arm on the opposite side of Tim. Was he awake again or sleeping? If Jason said something would he wake Tim? If Tim was actually sleeping and gone enough to be sleep talking, was this Jason’s chance to get out while Tim would be too out to wake? Jason had to be ready for when Tiff called. Maybe she would only be free, maybe she would be scared or in trouble. Jason couldn’t afford to lose their only LIVE lead so far.  
~~~~  
Tim didn’t move or stir. His dream moved from Jason’s first night as Robin to his first slip up, being captured and rescued, to Jason’s first Christmas as Robin. He was happier back then. It had made Tim happy too.   
~~~~  
Jason slowly, carefully shifted his weight away from Tim and paused. He felt ridiculous, like a deer trying not to be noticed by a hunter. Still he turned nervous eyes to Tim’s sleeping form and pulled himself gently away from Tim, checking for any signs of wakefulness. Christ, he wasn’t sure why he was acting so skittish.


	12. Oh the Joys of Hospitals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Hope you guys are loving this! Things are starting to come together and get real with our boys. The plot thickens. As always let us know what you think!!! Enjoy!

Chirp chirpchirp chiiirrrp 

Tugging the blankets closer to his face Tim sighed but stayed asleep even as the phone in the other room continued to ring. 

Chirp chirpchirp chiiirrrp   
~~~~  
‘Fuck me running!’ Jason grimaced, and in one fluid motion, moved out from Tim and on socked feet sprinted and slid down the hall. Grabbing the phone and voice distorter Jason hit Send. “Go.”  
~~~~  
“Um, I-is this the Red Hood? You told me to call back when I was alone.” The girl on the other end whispered.   
~~~~  
Tiff. Excellent, Jason thought, they needed just this kind of break in the case. “This is Hood, how are you Tiff? Holding up alright? I’m sorry about your friend.” All the basics of human interaction, bolstering the morale of the witness, consolation of loss, inquiry into well being. Jason felt pretty damn proud of himself, he wondered if B remembered that with his witnesses these days?  
~~~~  
“Doc say’s I’m alright. Sprained wrist and ankle a few stitches.” She sniffles. “I just want out. Laura and I were gonna get out, move to the beach, someplace nice ya’ know? Can you get me out? I’ll tell you everything just... Get me safe? Out of Gotham for good?”   
~~~~  
“Tiff, I need you to answer me right now with total honesty,” Jason said, suddenly nervous, “Are you afraid for your life?” If he needed to move Tiff tonight, his safe house he’d just vacated would be safe enough for her in the interim while he set up alternate identity, transport and a safe house somewhere with some sun. … not on the coast, too obvious though, maybe the appalachian mountains? Great views. It would be warm this time of year anyways. He could...  
~~~~  
“They-they said our names. Look the Serpientes Cabeza will kill me if I try to leave but those guys... They’ve been the one’s killing us. They’re after us ok? Can you get me out of the Serpientes Cabeza or not?” She asked scarred and checking around her. No one could overhear this conversation or she was certainly dead. It was a rule. You talk, you die. Snitches had no place in this world but Tiff knew, knew if she didn’t get out those Cabron would be back to finish what they started.   
~~~~  
“I can get you in one of my safe dives before dawn, and out of Gotham in a few days tops.” Less if he asked Tim to help move the paperwork. “Tiff, I’ll get you out, gone and into the wind, but you gotta tell me LITERALLY everything you know and all the things you heard.” Jason promised, moving to collect his boots from the bedroom and putting them on in the cave away from the bedroom, he needed to get to HIS base of operations where he had his full gear, bike, keys … But on the other hand the car had the room to support Tiff and keep her safe and out of the line of fire. It wouldn’t be TERRIBLE if he borrowed Tim’s car would it? … Still, he wanted his proper gear. “We might even need you later on as a material witness.” If this ever made it so far as court. Sometimes assholes just refused to come quietly no matter how nicely you ask.  
~~~~  
“I can get you shit. You don't need me. I got what you need. I don’t want to testify! That shit gets you dead.” Tiff turned quick to the foot steps coming down the hospital hall. “Someones coming. I have to go! room 312!”

click.   
~~~~  
“TIFF! NO. STAY AWAY FROM THE DOOR. JUST … Lock… DAMNIT!” Jason was climbing into Redbird before he turned to the hall that lead to Tim’s bedroom. “Fuck.” Jason climbed out, found a square of blank paper and paused for seconds he didn’t have to wonder what he was going to SAY to someone who would miss him when he left. What did he want Tim to see when he woke.

‘I’ll be back. Mission.’

Fuck, that looked so Bruce Jason’s stomach roiled. Flipping the paper over, Jason scribbled ‘Eat something.’ and left it ‘Mission’ side up next to Tim and drove off, praying to gods he didn’t believe in that it was only the nurses doing nightly rounds and that Jason would still have an informant when he got to Gotham General, Room 312.  
~~~~  
Tiff wasn’t stupid. She knew she was a target and staying on one place was an easy kill. She hid behind the door as the person came in. ‘Definitely not a doctor!’ She thought and slipped out the door. It was hard to get up the flight of stairs with a sprained ankle but hiding in the childrens ward was her best option. Rosa’s little girl was in room 312. She was in the half way house with Rosa for years before she got with the Serpientes Cabeza. It was a good place to hide... she hoped.  
~~~~  
Jason swerved in and out of traffic as though he were on his bike, not this two doored behemoth. He’d yet to nick the paint, which was how he counted success, but at the same time he knew he was out of practice in driving cars. Jason parked in ER only parking and made his way to the elevators, possibly scaring the nurse that was supposed to be manning the front desk. Jason didn’t have TIME for this though, he needed to see if Tiff was okay.  
~~~~  
Tiff could hear shouting from down the hall, “Mary, its going to be ok, just pretend to be asleep. I’m going to hide behind the chair, ok. Don't tell the bad man where I am!” She ducked behind the recliner and prayed to a god she wasn’t sure existed that they both made it out safe.   
~~~~  
Jason had taken the stairs, perhaps he could have taken them more quietly but he was worried about speed at the moment, not stealth. he came to the door of the third floor and let out a breath, gripping this gun loaded with rubber bullets and shifting one foot to feel the live clip in his boot. It felt good to be in his own uniform, properly armored and armed, with his helmet on his head schooling his breathing he slipped through the door as silent as possible, guns out, infrared sensors up. He’d chosen the staircase close to 312 on purpose, covering his six diligently Jason knew the door he’d been told would be right around the corner he was fast approaching. He stopped at the corner, checked his six, the ceiling, and the other approach from the opposite end of the hall. Empty. Jason rounded the corner.  
~~~~  
Tiff and Mary sat in terrified silence as the voices faded further and further away from the childrens ward.   
~~~~  
Figures were rounding the corner at the far side, not doctors, but it was unknown if they were only visitors. It was, however, late for only the most dedicated visitor. Jason decided to treat them as sentries and moved quickly to room 312, entering and shutting the door carefully, making less noise than a jewel thief. Jason flipped the door lock and turned, and saw a CHILD in the bed. The little girl seemed nervous, only barely passably faking sleep and Jason moved his gun hand around his hip to be hidden from her obviously barely opened eyes. “Tiff?” Jason hissed, had the little IDIOT given him the wrong room number in panic? He moved left, intending to circle the room and saw the shadow cast by the chair was lumpy. Rookie mistake, but good instincts. “Tiff, It’s Hood. Come out from behind the chair.” Jason said at half volume, there was no need to speak too loudly in this sized a room.  
~~~~  
Peeking out from behind the chair she felt a flood of relief as she saw the Red Hood standing at the door. “I didn’t know what else to do, so i hid.” She got up slowly and carefully, limping over to the man. He ankle hurt from all the running but it was the best she could do. “Bye Mary, tell your mama I’m ok.” The little girl nodded and waved at both of them.   
~~~~  
“Good instincts.” Jason said, voicing his earlier thought, “Next time though, draw the blinds, the light from the window cast your shadow behind the chair on the wall. It was an instant tell.” Jason, gun hand still held away from the girl, nodded at her, since she wouldn’t see his encouraging smile. “Remember, You never saw me here.” Jason told the girl seriously, holding a finger to his lips so she would know it was a secret. The girl seemed overly pleased at the secret she was being entrusted with and mimicked his hand motion. Jason hoped that would be enough.

Listening at the door, Jason heard nothing coming from the hall. Turning on thermal sensors revealed no walkers in the hallway. “Absolutely silent, I want you so close to me people think we’re Peter-Pan and his shadow. Follow my instructions exactly, immediately, and without question.” Jason opened the door slowly, cautiously. No sign of anyone, “Can you run if you need to?” Jason breathed.  
~~~~  
Tiff looked back at Mary “I don’t know. I can try but I wont be able to for long.” Her ankle already hurt and was making horror throbbing pain shoot up her leg but between running and making it worse or getting killed she figured she could run. Sticking close wouldn't be an issue in the least. He’d be lucky if she left him and inch or room between them. “Just get me safe.”  
~~~~  
Jason nodded, Flicking between the thermal imaging and back again as needed, moving silently down the short hallway, pausing only a moment to visually check it before moving down to the area where the flights of stairs and elevators were located. Elevators were dangerous, but so far he didn’t think they knew they were there. Would they have already planted explosives at every cable? Did they even think in that manner? “Risk the elevators, or tolerate the stairs?” Jason whispered after debating it himself all the way down the short hall.   
~~~~  
“The safer option, of course!” Tiff huffed limping along. She hated not knowing who was coming for her and from what direction. It was driving her nuts.   
~~~~  
“Stairs.” Jason said quickly, “Just two flights going down, nothing too terrible.” Jason pulled open the door, grateful that it was SILENT and checked the landing before motioning Tiff inside. He followed after her. Jason checked up and down the stairs after gesturing silently that Tiff press herself into a corner, no one. Jaso couldn’t allow himself to relax, so he gestured to Tiff and pulled out a taser gun. “You can handle one of these?” he whispered.  
~~~~  
“If I can handle a real gun I can handle one of these!” She took the taser from him and nervously looked around. If he was cautious that she should be too. A Bat on edge wasn’t something that instilled confidence.   
~~~~  
“But if you kill ‘em, who do I get to interrogate?” Jason whispered amusedly. He took her non weapon hand and placed it on the bannister, She was a rightie so that meant she had to travel down the outside of the stairs. It would be quicker on the inside, but they would manage he didn’t want her tripping on that foot.. “Almost out of the woods.” Jason promised them both.  
~~~~  
Tiff didn’t bother to reply, instead focusing in not killing her self on the stairs. The car was bright red and she almost rolled her eyes at it but got in anyway. “You really like red.”  
~~~~  
-Be-beep Beep Beep-   
~~~~  
Barbara’s tone, she didn’t often dain to speak to him. Jason took a moment to grin before answering Tiff, “This baby ain’t even mine. Borrowed it for the second seat.” He opened the comms, “O, I swear it’s not as bad as it looks.” Jason threw the car into reverse and started making way for his safe house. He was grinning impressively now, he thanked his lucky stars for his helmet.  
~~~~  
“I’m sure there’s going to be an excellent reason why you’re kidnapping a witness from the hospital that you and Red saved even though he was on bed rest, right Hood?” Her voice asked ever so sweetly. Yeah, she was that good.  
~~~~  
“FUCK me Running, O.” Jason said exasperatedly. “ONE. Did you see me hold a gun to her head? NO. This isn’t a fucking kidnapping it’s an armed escort. Two, If you already told A about lil Red I’m never going to cook for you ever again. Mostly because A will have me on a PLATTER.”  
~~~~  
Barbara laughed. “Yeah I noticed her hiding and ducking behind you. Don't worry I had security escorting the guy from the building the second he’d reached the third floor. I actually called about his partners in crime. The guys you saved her from earlier? All dead. Swallowed poison pills just as the cops got there. Guess they denied questioning.”  
~~~~  
“Shit, even the unconscious guy? I KNOW I beat one of them bloody unconscious.” Jason asked, “And you didn’t say about A.”  
~~~~  
“Yeah, I didn’t. So, the unconscious guy came to at about the time one of then started screaming about something called the ‘Naked Truth’. Said something about how ‘the truth of all mankind lives and is freed with them.’ When the officer tried to question him, he laughed till he started coughing on his own bodily fluids from the poison.” She typed away at the keys before sighing. “There are way too many hits. I need more to go on to find these guys.”   
~~~~  
“Give me and Red some time and we can combine what we got with what you got. I’ll even bother to bring you something nice if you manage to stop beating around the bush and tell me if A is going to kill me or not.” Jason said in playful teasing tones. He’d made it a habit of bringing by food when he went to visit Barbara whenever he could manage. Sure Barbara was still social of a kind, she still saw her father when the two of them could manage, but being the oracle and running that much information and surveillance took TIME and like most Bats, she neglected food and sleep. Jason couldn’t make her sleep, he wasn’t a hypocrite, but he’d come into an affinity with food, cooking, and eating once Alfred had coaxed him to keep his skittish, street-kid ass IN the kitchen to learn.

Alfred had given him a lot in his life. In some ways more than Bruce. Bruce had made him Robin, but Alfred had given him much of his more colloquial education. Jason could cook for himself, knew high society etiquette, basic economics, color coordination, combat medic training, and even a little skill at flower arranging, though really all he knew how to do was arrange a vase with the flowers in steadily rotating sets of three. Where Bruce had taught him precision, flexibility, and fighting, Alfred had taught him about life, fun, manners and fulfillment. So, no. Alfred would not kill him, but that look of disappointment that Alfred would get on his face could hurt just as much as the one that crossed Bruce’s, and Jason hadn’t built up an immunity to Alfred’s disappointment as he’d done with Bruce’s.   
~~~~  
“If he finds out, it won’t be from me. We both know Tim is a very stubborn person. Short of locking him up, we’re not going to stop him from doing something he feels he needs to do.” She smiled. “Even Alfred knows that. Its not your fault Hood.” She knew Jason had a close relationship with Alfred, more than any of them. If Alfred was going to be disappointed it wasn’t going to be with Jason, it was going to be with himself for thinking that anyone could reign Tim in. Tim and Bruce were too alike in that aspect. In many ways they were the same. If they got it in to their head that they had a job to do, then come hell or high water they would do it, even if it killed them. Tim had been a determined kid but that stubborn sense of duty was something she watched Bruce instill in him. She was sad to say she just watched it happen and did nothing about it.   
~~~~  
“See? Straight talk, it’s awesome. I’m going to hole up this material witness in my safe house on Elm, setting up the securities let her get a good night’s sleep and say… you and me have an interview with her after I’ve given you our case so far? Once she’s told us what we need to know, I’m debating on either Central City or the Smokies.” Jason made a left, “This is unfortunately bigger than I’d rather tolerate in our town.”  
~~~~  
“Ok, sounds like a solid plan. Give me the codes to the cams in the safe house and I can run surveillance. Give you an extra set of eye’s. Call me when you're ready. O out.” The line clicked off.


	13. Misunderstandings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have come to realize I hate the damn HTML format. This would be a LOT easier for everyone to read if it was in the original format. We write this all in a GoogleDoc ad everyone is a different color so you know who is speaking just by the color alone. If anyone knows how we might be able to keep the colors please let me know I know this would be easier to read that way. 
> 
> As always we hope you're enjoying this and please let us know!

“Somewhere warm with beaches... no city’s. It’s what Laura wanted.” Tiff piped up as she watched the buildings fly by out the window.   
~~~~  
“If you want to be alive this time next year you’re going to stay away from beaches for a while. It’s where they’ll look.” Jason countered. “Unless you wanna wait around for me to get you a overseas visa. That takes time though. You willing to risk it?” Jason didn’t mind it, but Tiff seemed like she was in a hurry to get out of Gotham. He’d have to get top quality false papers for her and a legal visa to somewhere with a beach as well as a job to sustain herself in a foreign country. It was a lot more complicated that way because in effect he’d have to get Tiff across an ocean to ensure her safety. Not many would be willing to go so far for a street walker. Jason was aware he was going out of his way, but at the same time, hadn’t someone gone out of his way for Jason?  
~~~~  
She shook her head no. “I don’t want to go out of the country, just someplace warm. Arizona, New Mexico, hell Kansas even, some small town no one cares about. Someplace I don’t have to give cheap love to some John or crawl in bed with guys who’re more trouble than I want to know about. Just... Someplace that I can have a chance at a life, ya know?” She sighed and took a 8GB SD card out of her bra and handed it over to Hood. “Here, thats everything you could ever want to know about the Serpientes Cabeza’s. Names, dates, shipments, and even photo’s. Laura was the one who got the idea to get everything and sell it for enough money to start over. Her father was a dirty cop and she said she’d learned a lot from him before he died and ended up in the system with me. We went to Juan. It was Laura’s idea. She said instead of hitting the streets we hit the gangs. Said we’d make more and get out faster. What do you need to know?”   
~~~~  
“I can get you to Arizona, get you a decent job,” Jason thought, a bank teller might be a good idea. Something where security cameras were a matter of course. “Definitely warm there, not that I’d know first hand.” Jason pulled up to the metal garage door of an apartment building. He drew out a small transmitter and depressed the single button. The receiver's activation light turned on, though it was just the security camera’s light changing from red to blue, and Jason engaged the parking brake as the road started to slant downward into the secret garage Jason kept. The road became a ramp and as soon as it stopped moving Jason let the car coast into the garage area. He hit the transmitter and the ramp ascended once more, hiding Jason’s little private garage. There wasn’t much down here, because the Serenity on Elm wasn’t a working safehouse as much as an actual haven for Jason to hole up in. Removing his helmet to reveal his domino, Jason engaged the service elevator and when the doors opened, gestured for Tiff to enter first, one hand holding in front of the doors to keep them open. “As far as what we want from you, we’ll see what we need after we filter through this data. For now, I need you to get a good night’s sleep.”  
~~~~  
Tiff nodded and carefully limped inside. “Thank you, Really. Thank you for helping me.”   
~~~~  
Jason shrugged, “You’re welcome.” Really, it was practically instinct at this point. He helped people because he knew what it was like to be on that receiving end of the corruption of Gotham. He’d been jacking the tires off the BATMOBILE for chrissake when Bruce had found him and then he’d plucked his unhappy ass off the streets and given him a home, a bed, food, and a mission from on high. Bruce had saved him and now he just did that over and over again to as many as he could. He saved people. Sure, sometimes he missed out on “Doctor Delusion” (or whoever was the villain of the minute) robbing the rich and snooty blind at some art gala, but he always made sure every kid on the street he found made it home safe. While he could count on Batman to take care of the Penguin, Jason could concentrate on making sure the local gangs didn’t shake down mom and pop stores in his turf. Where the Red Hood rode the Johns didn’t beat the street walkers, and occasionally the coup-de-fucking-gras of a fucking underground gang grudge match landed square in his face.

‘I want to know how on earth Batman doesn’t have this on his to do list. Does he have higher priorities? Does he not see the patterns we do? Something this big, but until last night not even Tim and I knew what we were actually looking at. Does Bruce even KNOW about this?’

The elevator chimed and Jason did a quick check of his security system from his phone before he allowed the doors to open. He held out a hand for Tiff to brace herself on. “Second door on the right.” Whoever had built this building hadn’t believed in Room 13, so the apartments only went up to 12.  
~~~~  
As Tiff settled in across town Tim shifted in his bed feeling nothing beside him. Laying absolutely still as he can he listened for any noise or signs that Jason was in the apartment.

Nothing.

Silence. 

Dead and empty. Sitting up was harder than it should have been. He head was pounding so loud it was a surprise he could head the crushing silence around him at all. The GSW throbbed to its own beat reminding Tim he really should be on some stronger pain killers and NOT sitting up right now. As always, he ignored it tossing the covers to the side and standing up carefully. Grabbing the bottle of pain meds on his nightstand he swallowed two dry before looking into every room in his apartment just to be sure he was really alone. 

‘The base. Maybe.’ Tim thought hopefully and made his way through the door to find his car gone and the place empty. Going back to his room he sat down on the bed. A note by the bed caught his eye. 

‘I’ll be back. Mission.’ Was all it said. His chest hurt and it wasn’t from his injuries. It was hurt and disappointment. He knew the feelings well. Something small in him just stood and whispered, ‘But he promised.’   
~~~~  
Jason was clearing out his smallest working base at the edge of Dick’s Nightwing turf, packing a bag of civilian and working clothes, a second bag of toiletries and patrol utilities, a second pair of work boots, and an extra helmet. he grabbed the iPod and portable speakers and tossed them into the Redbird’s backseat. His bike he had just finished arranging to have sent to the theater. He’d be back to restock the area some other day. Tiff was sleeping off what was likely the most exhausting day of her life, a copy of his research was already in Barbara’s hands, and she was going to get at Tim’s files once Jason figured out how to get her access to the Theater’s computer. He had a feeling that Tim would protest, but he’d just change the passwords and the securities and huff and puff and it would give his broken baby bro some distracting desk work for the next couple of days. Jason had been gone longer than he wanted, but he was moving in wasn’t he? He didn’t want to have moved in and not even have his own toothbrush. For about the twentieth time that hour, Jason wondered if he hadn’t made a rash decision when he’d agreed to move in with Tim.

There wasn’t much else that could be DONE though, Tim needed the company, that much was certain, and they needed to help one another solve this case. And quite frankly Jason was actually good and tired of being alone, it sucked ass and was for the Bats, not the Birds. At that moment Jason suddenly drew a new distinction to go with the myriad others about the difference between Batman and his Robin’s. No matter if Dick had ever donned the cowl and wore the bat, he was still in his core, Robin. Tim had never STOPPED being a robin, Damian… well Damian was learning how ‘alone’ sucked first hand by watching his father right now. And Jason…

Was he still a Robin? Could he say that? He’d lived as a Robin, hell, he’d DIED as a Robin, but was what he was NOW?

Jason lost a few minutes just standing in his base contemplating the answer, before finally deciding that at the very least, he was not a Bat, even if he wasn’t sure if he was still a Robin.  
~~~~  
Beepbeepbeep

Tim tapped the comm in his ear tapping into his private line. “Red Robin.”

“Hey it’s Cullin. Harper and I’ve got some info. Meet us at r-15?” The boy asked. Harper and Cullen Row. Siblings who help him out from time to time. Bruce was the first to use Harper’s determination to help with the mission. Almost asked her to be Robin at one point but her and her brother were more of the quiet information getters. The background street kids you don't pay attention to. It makes their job fairly easy at times. They lived in his turf and even watched and managed the theater when he couldn’t. They were good people. Young but good. They knew the secret and kept it like they didn’t know it at all. 

“I’m on my way. Red out.” Tapping the comm off he headed for the back room base again.  
~~~~  
Jason drove back to base, hoping that Tim had just SLEPT through his errands, and worried he hadn’t.  
~~~~  
It took more effort than he would have liked to admit to get dressed and get his bike out. Somehow it seemed heavier than normal but Tim was sure that was just due to the exhaustion... maybe the GSW has something to do with it but he shrugged it off. ‘I’ve had worse.’  
~~~~  
There was no ‘clicker’ to enter baby bird’s base. Jason wonders if Tim decided to use a proximity transmitter. At a certain speed it could be extremely useful, not having to stop completely. It could be something completely different, so Jason makes a mental note to ask later. He pulled up to the entrance that Tim had pointed out and there it was, the door opening without him having done anything. Had to be a transmitter.

He parks, and sees Tim, in uniform attempting to mount a motorcycle. There is a moment when his heart stops remembering how to beat, and then moves into double time as thought to make up for the lapse. He’s undoing his seatbelt, cursing himself for BUCKLING it in the first place, His mind is racing, mostly warning him that based on past behavior maybe SHOUTING at Tim for being a fucking moron and to get the hell off that bike does he want to kill himself. (because he might actually want to) Probably better to just be concerned with Tim’s health and find out what new part of the mission absolutely requires him that Jason actually can take over while he’s on recovery.


	14. The other side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for wintersnight. Thank you for letting us know this story was missed. It means a lot! <3

Seeing his car pull in was enough to give him pause. He watched Jason angrily undo his seatbelt and wondered if he might have to replace that before his thoughts turned to what might have pissed the guy off. He thought about lowering the kickstand for a second before reconsidering. The bike was easy to just sit on and perfectly balanced sports bike Buell 1125CR, so its easy start up. He had time.

“What happened?” Tim asked sitting up straight.   
~~~~  
So mild a question. Jason felt like he could throttle the kid. Jason didn’t slam the car door, but he went around to where Tim was eeeeever so slightly leaning and held up the bike by the handle bars. “Did you find the note?”  
~~~~  
“I’ll be back. Mission?” Tim recited. “Yeah I got it. You still didn’t answer my question.” He ignored the slight movement as Jason took hold of the handle bars. Maybe the bike wasn’t as balanced as he thought but the Ducati was still being repaired so he was left with the Buell or swinging. Which was like saying the Italian Sports car was in she shop so he went with the American Muscle instead.   
~~~~  
Jason felt something in him want to twitch and he said, “But did you eat something?”  
~~~~  
“What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?” Tim huffed. Really, what did food have to do with the note and whatever pissed off Jason.   
~~~~  
“I told.” Jason grit his teeth so hard his gums protested and started again, “Did you even LOOK at the back of the note?”  
~~~~  
Tim wasn’t sure if he was feeling more guilty, chastised, or defencive. “No. You left. What’s it matter?” Aaaannd add in a little hurt to that mix. Shaken not stirred.   
~~~~  
“Why are you sitting on a motorcycle with a concussion, a GSW, etc. etc.?” Jason countered, not wanting to admit to the sentiment out loud.  
~~~~  
“I’ll be back. Mission.” Tim was nearly growling he felt to angry. Not one answer, apology, nothing, just question, question, question. Just like everyone else questioning if he was worth anything, even the mission. Especially the mission. Bruce and Dick. They ask the most questions and never gave any answers either. 

He really just needed out.

‘Out. Away. Gone. Gone forever. It would be easy. So easy.’ 

Tim turned the key and started the bike. “Please move.”  
~~~~  
AAAAAaannd the repeat of his note to Tim being spat back in his face was a well placed sting. Jason was fighting his own nature to keep a relatively cool head. “You’re not driving with a concussion.” Jason said, holding up the keys to Red Bird, “I’ll drive.” Jason looked around, “Where’s the note? You obviously didn’t read the back.”  
~~~~  
‘Read the back?’ No, no he hadn’t. He hadn’t even considered there was something on the back. “Where you left it. Stop answering questions with questions... I hate that...Why’d you leave?”  
~~~~  
“Tiff called, friends of her attempted murderers showed up at the hospital. She hid in the room of a friend’s little girl and had me come get her. She’s staying in the Serenity.” Jason twisted the key in the ignition until the bike fell silent. “Where am I taking you?” There was no POINT in arguing, they were both already in proper uniform, easier to just get things taken care of.  
~~~~  
Well as good reasons went that was a really good one. Tim lowered the kickstand in submission. “Contacts of mine contacted me and said they had some information. I’m meeting them at r-15.” Tim answered quietly and wondered what the note had said and if he should ask.  
~~~~  
“Just give me directions, I don’t use r-15.” Jason let the bike lean on it’s kickstand and stood off just to the side just in case Tim started leaning again. “How’s your various pain levels?” Jason asked casually, as if he were asking about the weather or Wayne Enterprises stock futures. An information exchange was perfect, He’d find somewhere for Tim to sit and they might get more info on their case.  
~~~~  
“Fifth and main. The blue building on the corner.” Tim sighed once the bike settled into position and did his level best not to show how much the movement hurt. Twisting his torso to lean with the bike and stand was an awful kind of pull on his stitches and the silence of the bike being turned off revealed how loud the pounding in his head was. Over all, he’d had worse but it sure didn't feel great. “I’m fine.” he mumbled.   
~~~~  
An urge to ban the word from vocabulary.  
A desire to shake Tim until he finally cried or admitted his pain.  
A knowledge that he’d just basically been lied to, but not in the eyes of the speaker.

Jason moved to the bedroom quickly and grabbed the note, handing it to Tim (because Tim could obviously walk at the very least.) as he got in the car. The directions were minimalistic and efficient, just like Bruce had probably taught him. Jason set back out onto the road, thinking about how he hadn’t driven an actual CAR this much in the past three months as much as he had done tonight. It was a weird thing to think about.  
~~~~  
Sitting in the car was admittedly a great deal easier than the bike and he was grateful for it. The note somehow had a weight to it, almost heavy. The silence in the car was probably the contributing factor. With a great amount of caution he turned the note over in his hand.

‘Eat something.’ stared up at him and he could feel the tears well up. He felt guilty that he had just assumed Jason had simply left without a care but the proof was right there. In his hand. An amount of care he hadn’t felt in so damn long and it felt good. He had to take a deep breath to steady himself and blink back the tears. They really had no where to go in the domino glued to his face. A turn of the corner and Jason’s spare helmet shifted on the seat grabbing Tim’s attention. Then he saw it, a couple of bags in the back seat. He turned to Jason and wanted to say something, anything, but nothing came out. He didn’t know what to say.   
~~~~  
The shifting of the helmet in the backseat alerted Jason to the fact that he hadn’t unpacked the car. “Damnit, I meant to…” Jason muttered, looking at the back seat and wishing he’d REMEMBERED that he had a good chunk of his life in the trunk in addition to the bags and helmet in the back seat. “I’ll grab that stuff when we get back.”  
~~~~  
“You’re gonna stay?” Tim felt all too hopeful and somehow felt small. Jason had gone and packed his stuff. Packed and brought it with him, to Tim’s. 

To stay.

Stay with Tim like he said he would.   
~~~~  
“I said I would.” Jason said, suddenly uncomfortable with his actions. “Do you get it a little better now? Cause words and conversations where I’m answering questions aren’t exactly what I’ve been doing with my life lately. That’s me, and the life, and doing this alone for too long and I’d tell you I won’t do it anymore but that’d be a lie. So how about… I’ll try to remember better next time.”  
~~~~  
Tim nodded sincerely. “Thank you.” He understood they’d been doing this alone, both of them, for far too long. Living the life with Bruce and his lack of communication was a bad habit they both picked up. 

“I’m sorry too. I just... I looked... and I thought you left, that you’d lied or hadn’t meant it.” He looked at the note again, still in his hand and slipped it into a pocket on his belt. “I’m glad you're staying.”  
~~~~  
“I’ll be glad when you eat something.” When I don’t wince to look at you. When you’re healthy again. Jason chuckled, “Wanna pull through a drive through after we get your intel? I’ll ditch the helmet and we’ll just do the dominos, but lets see if they call the cops or just think we’re cosplayers.” He was being foolish, but he really didn’t care, he could hear Tim’s tears and knew that he didn’t want his little brother to cry. Tim probably wouldn’t even go for it for a variety of reasons.  
~~~~  
Tim’s chuckle turned into a laugh he wasn’t sure if it was the ridiculousness or the thoughtfulness. ‘Both’ He decided. ‘and maybe the childishness too.’ The good natured fun for the sake of fun. He didn’t even know anyone did that anymore. 

“Ok, sure but no McDonalds. I really don't like their food at all. I swear its just some scheme to make cardboard look like food. I haven't figured out how their doing it but I’ll take them down at some point.”   
~~~~  
Jason laughed, surprised and pleased that Tim was apparently so ready to eat. He listened to the completely ridiculous conspiracy theory and thought to himself, ‘I broke his arm once. Cut his throat because I didn’t bother knowing who he was. And he’s asked me to move in, laughing with me. Forgiven me.’

“Naaah, I was thinking like, Wendy’s or something. Checkers has the best fries hands down of course, but you gotta JUST be in it for the fries because the rest of it isn’t too much to shout about.” Jason turned onto Main street, knowing that this red car of Red Robin would be a more welcome sight then his helmet on a Ducati. People would feel safer knowing they were around, petty crooks would rethink their business dealings. They would get the information they wanted, then Tim might finally get the bed rest he needed.  
~~~~  
“Checkers, they have awesome fries.” Tim smiled a little, ‘I probably couldn’t stomach more than that anyway.’ He thought. He really wasn’t hungry and his stomach was still doing loops but if it would make Jason happy to see him try to eat something then so be it. 

Jason had always been Tim’s Robin. The person he’d looked up to and fought for even when no one else did. He understood Jason in ways the others didn’t and was glad for the chance to get to know him even better. 

“We’re meeting in 3C. its a safe house thats not much more than a couch and a bed but it makes a good meeting spot. We’re meeting Cullin and Harper Row. They work with Oracle most times or Bruce when he needs them but Harper parted ways with him and they work with me a lot. They’re good kids.” Tim opened the door once Jason shut off the car and carefully stood holding the door till the world stopped spinning from standing up.   
~~~~  
Jason turned off at Fifth street and found the blue building easily, he pulled over to park the hot rod as inconspicuously as possible when the car was bloody fire engine red. 3C meant that there were stairs that would need to be climbed, and Jason hoped the elevator in that building worked, because Babybird didn’t look like he had two flights in him. “Row siblings. right.” Jason was only aware of the concept of a ‘good kid’ in the abstract, he had never been one in his opinion. He went around the car and watched Tim like a hawk as the other got out of the car.  
~~~~  
“The fire escape would be fastest since the elevator is nonexistent.” Tim said shutting the door and making his way around the car. “Well it exists, but I wouldn’t trust my life to it. Been busted for months.” Tim pulled out his line and considered the pros and cons of using it versus taking the stairs. The line would pull on his arm and stretch his torso and possibly make him a bit dizzy from the sudden movement. However, if he switched hands and tucked in his other arm the pull wouldn't be bad if at all and he could handle the head rush.  
~~~~  
Jason saw the not so internal conflict go on in Tim’s head and was in fact, considering the same thing. “I could hold you where you don’t hurt, you could grab onto my weapons harness and I could throw the line.” Jason suggested. He was fully loaded at the moment, rubber bullet filled guns and all. ‘Armed to the gums,’ as he liked to call it. Just the live clip in his boot. Just the one. He had two asses to protect now, was he going to start allowing himself a second clip?

A question for another night.  
~~~~  
Tim looked at Jason and back to the fire escape, to his grapple, and finally back to Jason. He sighed. “Yeah ok, fine but not a word of teasing.” Tim warned handing over the grapple. If anyone got wind of it he’d never live it down.  
~~~~  
“I give you a two week grace period, after that, no promises.” Jason retorted genially, He held out a hand for Tim which spread his motorcycle jacket, showing the double shoulder harness he wore, which had been slightly more hidden than the two guns strapped to his thighs.  
~~~~  
“Figures.” Tim eyed the shoulder harness but said nothing. He knew there weren’t live rounds in them and he was a lot less strict on the no guns thing. He didn’t mind much. Cops carried guns and managed not to kill. It felt like a double standard to him. Jason had learned his lesson and lived with the deaths he carried as far as Tim knew and that was good enough for him.

Wrapping his arms around Jason as tight as he could manage, which admittedly wasn't much. The scent hit him and Jason singing Sweet Child O Mine rang in his head. He closed his eyes and rested his head in Jason’s shoulder, waiting.  
~~~~  
Jason grabbed Tim by the crossed straps at his back, gripping the X where they met under Tim’s cape. “3, 2…”Jason shot the line and angled the two of them so Jason could deposit Tim onto the Fire escape landing easily. Jason retracted the line and checked Tim’s face, “You good?”  
~~~~  
Having Jason as a solid ground made the jump easier. The dizzy spell was mild and easy to brush off. “Yeah, I expected that to be a lot worse.” Turning around on the fire escape he opened the window and carefully climbed inside and waited for Jason to do the same. The place was quiet though not too quiet. The sounds of other tenants echoing down the hall.   
~~~~  
Jason followed in after Tim, and found that Tim’s earlier description was pretty damn accurate, there was a sofa, a sort of table, and a bed. there was counter top space with a sink that implied a kitchen, but Jason didn’t bother to investigate. “Do me a favor? Sit.”  
~~~~  
Tim did his best to make sitting on the couch look as dignified and annoyed as possible. ‘Maybe I was already thinking of sitting down, did Jason ever think of that?’ His mind pouted. 

“They should be here any minute.” 

Jason nodded, happy that Tim hadn’t fought him about sitting down. Jason was realizing that he was worry-warting and it was a new sensation for him. He wasn’t sure he liked it but it was fast becoming a decent part of his personality. Jason moved to a part of the room where he had eyes on all the exits and a wall to his back. He wasn’t taking point on this, so he might as well stand a proper sentry.  
~~~~  
Tim held back a snicker at the seriousness that Jason was oozing. The guy was acting like they were meeting someone dangerous. Like somehow the mob was coming through the door and intimidation was the key to this meet. 

“Jay... They aren’t going to come in wielding weapons or causing trouble. You CAN sit down too you know.” Tim smiled and lifted the lenses on his domino. “They know all about us. We’re fine. Come sit.”  
~~~~  
Jason rolled his eyes at himself and moved to lounge on the other side of the sofa, in a deliberate opposite to his vigilant stance against the wall. “Was just giving you the floor Babybird.” Jason said by way of explaining himself to the both of them and silence stretched for about a minute. Hating the silence Jason said the first dumb thing that came into his head, “Fire your decorator.”  
~~~~  
Tim broke into snickers and had to hold his side against the uncomfortable pain in his side. It felt good to laugh though so he really couldn’t bring himself to mind. “The last four places got blown up and I’ve had to redo the theater three times just by itself. I figured why bother if it was just going to go up in smoke.”   
~~~~  
Jason saw the point but thought that the origin of the concept came from a very negligent standpoint. “Safehouses and r-points gotta be places where you feel safe and where you know you can rest and recover. The serenity? If I really and truly need to, I know that if I pop into room 1608 for the night then at least for that night, I can sleep. If this is just an r-point for info and resource dropping and trading good on you, it’s perfect, it took me a minute longer than it should have to recognize the securities.” Jason looked at the corners at the ceiling, and that little knob like shape that was the motion sensitive security cameras, the completely pointless pillars jutting out from a few walls, non-lethal boobytrap dispensers. All in all it was a no frills dive Jason saw that now, and also saw, that Tim probably HAD slept here before. “Personally I like a few more… personal touches.” Jason thought of the first safehouse that Damian had invaded, it had been a lovely little crash pad in white with gray and red accents in the modern style, bedecked with various weaponry. The bed in 900 count cotton sheets… that had had a crowbar laying under them. The little insufferable prick.  
~~~~  
“Hard to have a safe house feel safe when you have no less than three super assassin groups out to kill you at the same time.” Tim shrugged. “I used to bother making them look nice but I just don't see the point. Bed, table to work on, and a couch are really all they need. Otherwise its just a lot of extra effort and money for no reason. I used to have this one place that had posters, books, a nice size collection of comics and music... It was the second place to go up in flames.”   
~~~~  
“And the kitchen. You do stock the kitchen right?” Jason asked, “Well, obviously not THIS kitchen, I think there’s ambient E-coli here, i’m getting a shot after we’re done here.” Jason thought about that. 3 super assassin GROUPS. Sure, Jason was public enemy number one of practically every cop and gang banger in Gotham but they weren’t a real threat to him unless they were in numbers. Big numbers. Strangely, the cops were harder to deal with, if only because Jason couldn’t know for sure if they were crooked cops half the time and he had to NOT seriously injure them. He stocked extra knockout gas pellets just for nights he ran into cops. It was the nicest way he could think of. The Commissioner would likely never forgive the Red Hood for his crimes while Jason’s blood still ran hot.  
~~~~  
Tim chuckled. “ Nothing but protein bars and water. Sorry. Its bleached though so you don't have to worry about a shot.” He smiled. “I hope.” The place was cleaned and sanitized more than even Alfred usually managed. Some things had even been cleaned with a low grade acid. Everything just looked crappy. 

A knock sounded at the door before Harper Row and her brother Cullen strolled in like they owned the place. The punky girl came in and sat on the coffee table, confident and comfortable while her brother went to the kitchen for a cup of water giving a wave and a ‘hey’.


	15. Jason is like Chili Cheese Fries?

“So what’s up boy wonders?” she asked pushing her purple and blue hair out of her face.   
~~~~  
“Careful Row.” Jason said, still lounging, “Once upon a time you only said that to me if you wanted to fight me.” Jason laughed, if only to punctuate that those days were over, “How’re things down your street? Did the animal shelter pick up that stray and her pups?”  
~~~~  
Harper shrugged, “I needed the experience and you were easy to rile up. I took em to the shelter in New York. I know the girl who works the place and they have a no euthanization law. The one out here needs to be looked into.” She turns to Tim. “It was a lead I was following for O. One of the guys there, Benny, He’s been selling the dogs to gangs and dog fighters to line his pockets. That part I have covered but its what I overheard that O thought you should know. One of the guys buyin the dogs was talking about one of the gangs you were looking into. The Sangre Fuego. Their boss went missing.”  
~~~~  
Jason nodded, “That jives with my info.” It was good to know Tiff hadn’t been lying, she’d had little reason to, but there was always a chance. Just for the assurance of her honesty, Jason decided to throw in a nice little apartment with the bank teller job in Arizona. He was feeling nice. That, and he’d recently dethroned the boss of the BladeZ gang, curtailed their activities to ones that were on the slightly more moral side of illegal and was pocketing a fraction of what their boss used to take, which was a big reason why they weren’t actively plotting his imminent demise. All he had to worry about now as far as the BladeZ were concerned were loyalists to the old regime, and sneaky trash that broke his rules.

‘Dun, dun, dun, Another one bites the dust!’ Jason grinned under his helmet.  
~~~~  
“What that has to do with Benny buying pre trained guard and fighting dogs I haven’t a clue.” Cullen came back and handed a glass of water out for Tim. 

“Um Thank you.” Tim said and took the glass.

“You look like you need it.” The boy said with a smile. Tim tried to give a small smile but was sure it looked more guilty than thankful. 

“Yeah you look like shit.” Harper chimed in. 

“Thank you.” Tim added a bit annoyed. “Pre trained you said?”

“Your welcome, and Yep! Pre trained.”  
~~~~  
“Oh gee, I wonder what Benny’s got on the line that he wants guards that aren’t curious or greedy about what they’re guarding.” Jason sing songed, then he sat up, “Or, he’s afraid for his neck. He’s in good with the Firebloods yeah?” Jason brought a hand to his chin, only to hit the bottom of the helmet. “Either way, that just made Benny worth a visit. He hasn’t moved from his usual little hidey hole has he?”  
~~~~  
Tim watched Jason’s movement and actually managed not to laugh though the smile was there for sure.

“Same place as always.” She shrugged. “I can tell you its not for his sake though. Marcos Tei is the one who ordered em. Marcos is running things while the boss is away and is hell bent on getting him back. All I know is they’re in bed with some unknowns and ready to storm South America if thats what it takes.”  
~~~~  
“An assault, or like I thought before, personal protection, just for someone else.” Jason thought it might be more towards personal protection. Someone was picking off the Fire Bloods, the new head of the gang would want to know he was going to stay the head for as long as possible. Even if that was just until his commander was rescued.”  
~~~~  
“I’m not surprised. These unknowns are an awful mix of creepy and Joker levels of nuts on killing. Word is Santiago is the one that crawled in with them and now Marcos is stuck dealing with them.” Harper shrugged. “Sorry but thats all I’ve got.”

“Are these unknowns in Gotham? Can you check the grids for me?” Tim asked sipping at the water, hoping it might lead to something. Harper worked as the city’s electrical engineer and knew wires better than most Bats did. She’d even improved the Bat boxes that O and B uses to keep the cameras, traffic lights, and power grid in their favor. 

“Sure. I have a whole round this next week. I’ll see what I can find.” She nodded. 

“You doing ok?” Cullen asked. “We could have met somewhere else if it was easier.”

“I’m fine.” Tim smiled and stood ignoring the sudden head rush from doing it too fast. “Just need some rest.”  
~~~~  
Jason stood too, ready to catch Tim should he over balance, “After some refueling, I know I ate a few hours ago but I’m famished.” In truth Jason was almost always some low level of hungry. Not the bottomless pit way Dick was, but more of a ‘my body still thinks that it’s next meal is an uncertainty that could happen at any time from now to next week so it’s always stocking up, Just in case.’ Jason understood himself about that part, and tried to train his body to understand that at such an hour was breakfast, then lunch, then dinner. It only vaguely worked, mostly because of Jason’s habit to SNACK when he wasn’t out on patrol. And even sometimes on it. There was a sandwich shop on Jason’s turf where the owner thought he was the best thing since sliced bread, and always had a hot flatbread sandwich for Jason if Jason stopped by. Jason tried to go regularly, because when he went in uniform, he always passed a 20 or a 50 to the owner’s wife. he was sure he was at least part of the reason why their kid had a sweet new pair of light up shoes. Speaking of Cierro Sandwich Shop...

“Do me a favor and make sure that the Cierro family is being left alone. I’ve been kind of tied up tonight and slacking on my rounds.” Jason asked Harper and Cullen, thinking of some of the little things he’d let slip. “Also, the wiring got ripped out at the ball courts on 42nd. If you have a free moment, It’d be appreciated by more than just me. Everything else I was able to get to.” Or would get to tomorrow night, Jason admitted to himself.  
~~~~  
“Sure.” They both chimed. “We could use a snack anyway.” Cullen added. 

“The courts will be up and running asap. We don't need the Fli-BoyZ thinking its an opportunity.” Harper nodded. Even if the boys did move in, it would just give her more practice. Tim tried his best to blank his expression and not look as guilty as he felt. Jason had things to do in his own neighborhoods but was too busy taking care of Tim to do any of it. He squashed down the feeling as hard as he could. Yes the mission came first but... Was it ok for him to be happy that Jason chose to be with him? Had written ‘eat something’ on a note? Sang him to sleep? Made sure he made it to this meet safely and now STILL insisted he eat rather than take care of his own patrol? He wanted it so badly. Damn it, he was even hoping for it! What did that mean about him? That he wanted Jason there for him rather than the mission? Tim tried to push all the swirling questions out of his mind.

“Be safe.” Tim smiled weakly, flipping down the lenses of his domino. The lenses back in place felt a lot better. Admittedly he was so ready to have a few of those fries from checkers. He made for the door and looked to see if Jason would follow.   
~~~~  
Jason followed Tim out the door, watching Tim carefully as they made their steady way to the car. Jason pointedly did not baby Tim in public. It would present the image of Red Robin being weak. That wasn’t something Jason wanted to encourage, even if Tim was basically a walking wounded. Jason started the car and started navigating the streets for the nearest checkers. “Oh man, We’re in UNIFORM. TELL me you have camera, the window teller is going to have a literal cow when they see us. Should we pretend to be cosplayers? I’m getting an ice cream shake.” Jason reached behind his head and removed his helmet, tossing it into the backseat, rubbing at one corner of his red domino. “Either way, we need to record this. For posterity or whatever.”  
~~~~  
Tim watched as Jason closely watched him and wondered how he should feel about that. Jason didn't reach out to steady him just in case, he didn’t do anything but put up a strong solid front as they got to the car. It helped Tim stand a little straighter and walk a little better. That strength was contagious. Knowing Jay had his back he could focus on putting up a good front himself. The last thing he needed was anyone to catch wind of him being weak or wounded or however they’d swing it. Ninja’s and assassins were everywhere, even Tim didn’t always notice or spot them. Not having a solid front could cause an attack. Tim just couldn’t be responsible for that. He’d already taken Jason from his own duties, he’d been enough trouble for one day.

“Posterity? Its even better when they KNOW its us.” He leaned a bit forward and flipped a switch on the dash. “I really just want fries. Cameras are on. No cosplayers, they never get it right. Besides the car is a dead giveaway.”   
~~~~  
“Right right. You have this hot rod.” Jason let one hand lovingly stroke the console, “Yeah.” Jason trailed off, letting himself get a little lost in his love for cars. Jason GOT cars, liked to work on them. He’d been boosting tires when Bruce had caught him because it was something he found easy and enjoyable to do. He’d taken time to customize all of his motorcycles, but he’d never really thought about getting himself a full CAR. Jason just… packed light? Something else was in there, but Jason didn’t have time to ponder it as he turned into the drive for the Checkers takeout window. 

“Hi, welcome to Checkers can I ta-- … Oh my god.” Jason grinned as the young woman went from bored to stunned as she looked between the two domino masked men to the tell tale red car. “Oh my GOD!”

“Please, call me Red Hood.” Jason said slyly. “Can we get say, two large orders of fries, one small powerade and a chocolate shake?”  
~~~~  
“Uh...And a Chili Cheese fries.” Just the smell of his favorite foods was making his stomach scream. He might regret it later but he’d enjoy it at the time. He handed over a few bills to Jason from his stash in the glove box. He always kept about $2,000 on him. People need bribing for good info? Nope. You just never knew when you’d need something... like chili cheese fries.   
~~~~  
Jason took the money Tim handed him and pulled a single 20 dollar bill from it and handed it to the girl. “Thanks.” After only a minute or two, the girl came back with a cardboard 4 cup holder with two drinks and two large orders of fries, which Jason took and passed to tim, and grabbed the tub of chili cheese fries from her carefully. Jason had his shake in hand and his window rolling up when the girl called out, “Mr. Hood! Your change!”

“Find someone with nowhere to sleep tonight and it to them!” Jason suggested, already pulling away.  
~~~~  
Tim snatched up a couple of fries from the cup holder and munched on them. God they were good. Hot and seasoned just right. They made the mouth water and stomach beg for more. 

“So you’re god now huh?” Tim smiled at just how cheesy it was but so naturally Jason. Like his chili cheese fries. ‘... did I just compare Jason to chili cheese fries? Thats weird even for me.’  
~~~~  
Jason laughed, snagging a fry and swiping it through his shake before popping it in his mouth, “Blame Roy, he got me in the habit of saying that. If you pay attention to it, half the time we’re saving citizens, they’re saying some form of ‘oh my god!’ and really, unless God is deliberately setting it up that we were there to save them at THAT moment God doesn’t have much to do with it. And if he does then he also set it up that Bruce, Dick and I got orphaned all before we turned ten and I have a problem with that. So. If God isn’t involved, they might as well start referring to the one who is. Jason ate a fry without the detour into the milkshake, “This is all slant quote of Roy by the way. Near verbatim, some paraphrasing, sans cussing.”  
~~~~  
Shrugging he popped a few fries in his mouth and took a sip of his drink before answering. “I can't say I know him well enough to know if he’s joking or not but I can’t say I disagree much. Well other than being referred to as god.” 

The thought of being seen, thought of, or even jokingly referred to as god or a god was just odd and very ill fitting to Tim. He messed up and made too many mistakes to be a god or even be revered at all. Though the ‘gods’ he’d met in his lifetime weren’t really to be revered in his opinion either. They’re just powerful people. Thats it, and he really didn’t count that as ‘god’. Though if there was a god, not that he was sure of that, He really didn’t see why they had to lose their parents. Why did Bruce’s parents have to die? To make Batman? Why did Dick lose his parents? For Robin? Then why Jason’s? To bring him to his own death? Why his parents? Why is friends? Why? Really what was the point of that? Of any of it? His head was spinning with all the questions and he couldn’t stop thinking about it now.   
~~~~  
“I should add the disclaimer.” Jason said, flipping the switch Tim had used to engage the cameras, “That Roy and I were in … let’s call it … a middle eastern country on stakeout for four days and anything he had said after the first twenty four hours is to be treated as though he was drunk under ‘impairment via severe boredom.’ Some of the crap that came out of his MOUTH. If I wasn’t sharing a one room hellhole with him I would have sworn he was on something, but to Roy’s credit, he was as clean as whistle. It’s still miserable for him, but reparative suck is better than self destructive, so…” Jason shrugged.   
~~~~  
Tim concentrated on what Jason was saying rather than listen to the unending questions that were starting to make his head hurt. He grabbed a few more fries and continued eating. “At least he’s doing better.” He remembered hearing about Roy from Dick. The fights with Oliver, the anger, the drugs, and finally the disappearing act. Dick had been so torn up about it and it was one of the first times he felt so useless. He couldn’t comfort Dick, couldn’t help Roy, couldn't do anything to make things better.   
~~~~  
“Yeah, well.” Jason shoved a few fries in his mouth, “Cleaning his system was no picnic, and he says that after the withdrawals, everything else is downhill coasting.” The damn process had been hard enough to witness, let alone what Roy had to have gone though. Jason had a feeling it was harder on Ollie somehow. “As witnessed though, getting clean has made him the most interesting conversational partner ever. If only that sometimes he just gets totally random.”  
~~~~  
“Random like how?” Tim asked continuing to eat a few more fries. Really he just wanted Jason to keep talking. His stomach was feeling more content now that it had something on it and now he just wanted to lay back and listen. Jason’s voice just had a soothing tone to it when he spoke. Calm, even, settled, it made him feel the same way inside.   
~~~~  
“Once he called me up to not only tell me he folded his sock drawer, but how he did it, all the while repeating that he had no idea WHY he did it, ending in a question of an evil alien invasion to which I told him to go the hell to sleep it was three in the morning.” Jason laughed, alternating between his shake, the fries, and the combination.  
~~~~  
At some point Tim started eating the chili cheese fries rather than the plain ones. “Why the hell was he folding socks at   
three in the morning, and why tell you? Does that happen often?” He chuckled.  
~~~~  
Jason rolled one shoulder and jerked his head to one side in a shrug that wasn’t exactly a shrug, “I’m just on that special short list that when he can’t bug anyone else he has no such limitations with lucky, little, old me.” Jason remembered the screaming, the holding Roy down bodily as he thrashed, the stench of vomit, the pleas for more drugs, the ones for death. The cries for death had been harder. It wasn’t Tim’s business to know about Roy’s recovery, or that Jason had been the only one Ollie and Roy could agree on to help the man care for Roy while they got his ass cleaned up. Enough people knew, Superman knew the audio record for it, he couldn’t help himself. Bruce knew, if only the logistics of the idea that Jason had been present to clean up Roy with Ollie. “As for why, I think he was that special kind of tired where he just can’t sleep? And the sock thing was only the once, but every now and then I get another Roy call.”  
~~~~  
“I’m glad you were there for him. It didn’t just help him.” Tim had seen how it changed Jason. Grounded him. The whole ordeal was hard in a totally different kind of way and Tim watched it from the outside. Watched Jason try to keep himself in check, get himself together, talk and reach out to people. Tim just got him in touch with the family but Jason did the hard work of becoming a trusted member of the team again. To Tim it felt like the family was back together. Like he was that kid standing on a fire escape taking pictures of a family he loved and admired from afar.   
~~~~  
“Yeah, Lian’s gonna have a daddy now. Which is still weird that Roy has a kid but, eh.” Jason shrugged, “It’s whatever.” Jason scooped a fry though his ice cream and ate it. He was tempted to get Tim to do the same, but he saw how peckish the other was as it was, and decided against it. He’d ordered too much even for himself to finish off, but maybe they would pass a hobo or something, Actually… Jason pulled over and rolled down the window at an old man and his dog. Grabbing one of the large fries he handed it to the old man with a fifty. “Get yourself food, and some food for your dog. It’s still getting cold at night, If you need a warm place here.” Jason took out the card with a short list of safe dives. “You know there ARE centers that can help you clean up and look for a job to take care of yourself right? Not charities, but actual services that you can pay back when you get in a good place, if you want.” Jason knew that the idea of charity being so repugnant to people they refused services offered. He’d been the clean cut employee who’d dropped that suggestion in the Wayne charity idea drive. Jason gave a quick scratch behind the dog’s ears, and moved back to the car, driving away. Oh yeah, his street cred from his debut was SHOT to fuck with sentimentality. Not that he wasn’t a confirmed hardass that didn’t mind breaking bones on a nightly basis, but the whispers that he helped the hobos and stood up for the mom and pop shops couldn’t be stopped no matter how many pimps he busted the clavicles of.  
~~~~  
Tim had stopped eating at that point. He’d already eaten a little less than half of the plain fries and about a fourth of the chili cheese ones. His stomach felt so full it hurt a little and he wondered if he’d ate too much. He quietly watched Jason happy and feeling a little like Dick should be there cooing at Jason. The man had such a good heart, big and compassionate. It was one of the many things he loves about Jason. Probably in the top two. His voice and his heart. He watched as he got back in the car and got them back on the road. 

“I didn’t mean Lian. I meant you.” He said quietly. He was getting tired again. He’d put a lot of effort into first being upset with Jason then seeing the Row siblings. Now with heavy feeling food on his stomach he wouldn’t need much to get him to actually sleep.   
~~~~  
“Huh?” Jason asked, momentarily forgetting their previous train of conversation, “Oh, helped me too.” Jason thought about it, the sponge baths, the soothing words he’d learned the hard way how to say, the holds he NEVER thought he’d have to use on Roy of all people, holding him down while Ollie tried to talk him down. It had been not just watching someone go through their own personal hell, but making them stay through it, if only because they knew the other side was so much better and healthier. You know it’s good for them, but it doesn’t stop you from feeling like crap. “I dunno about good for me, But if you say so, then I’ll accept that.” 

Actually, now that Jason thought about it that was one of the things he’d ‘learned’ from dealing with Roy. He could still remember the arguments, the sheer venom that had spewed before Jason had had ENOUGH. ‘LOOK Roy. No, SHUT your MOUTH and listen to me before I SECURE your mouth shut just for some god damn peace! … Look Roy, Ollie is telling you that you ARE NOT a fuckup. LISTEN to the guy. You’re so ass deep in your own mess you can’t see something worthwhile because you’ve got the entirely wrong angle. You’re your own epicenter and you’ve exploded outwards. It’s no wonder you can’t see what we see. So, as the two assholes you’re crazy enough to trust to clean you up, as your FRIEND, as your partner, let us tell it to you straight, and trust us to tell you the truth. If Ollie says you’re still a good person and you still have merits then you fucking BELIEVE him. Every psych textbook and self help scam agrees we’re our own worst critic, so try a more objective source.’  
~~~~  
Tim smiled knowingly. “Before Roy you would have told me to fuck off for saying stupid shit.” Which would lead to a fight that would have Tim in some sort of cast or stitches for his efforts. He shrugged “I’m glad you’re doing better.” 

Tim didn’t give up on Jason even after the fights. Jason was meant to be with Bruce, Dick, and Alfred as a family again with the addition of Damian. That was Jason’s place in Tim’s opinion and if driving through hell in the worst ways was the only way to make him see it then Tim was just glad it worked out for the man. Going through that hell couldn’t have been easy and Tim admired Jason for it. He doubted he would have survived a thing like that.  
~~~~  
“I was …” Jason stopped. He’d sworn an oath not to lie or pussyfoot around his actions after his resurrection. “I was in a bad place. I WANTED to be in a bad place and I wanted to take Bruce just one step down there with me. Just that one step. Just to prove something that didn’t need proving in a way that wouldn’t have proved it anyways.” Jason thought about putting his hands around the Joker’s neck and squeezing. Maybe if he was ever diagnosed with stage four cancer he’d let himself.

“You were there for most of it. You’re smart besides, you’ve probably read the records and sifted through Bruce’s professional jargon to get to the meat of what happened. Then I left Gotham for a bit to go cool my head.” Jason snorted, that hadn’t worked quite as well as he hoped, but he’d still come back to Gotham. He would always come back to Bruce.  
~~~~  
Listening quietly and intently Tim understood what Jason was talking about. He’d been there for most of it and Jason was right, he had read the reports. “You came back though and you’re working on things. Thats... something, isn’t it?” 

They were a few blocks away from the base. Tim wondered what would happen now. Jason said he’d stay. Even had the bags to prove it. Somehow the thought felt good and worrying at the same time. What if Jason changed his mind? What if he hated being there? He wouldn't hate it... would he? “You can set up wherever you want.” Tim offered.   
~~~~  
Jason laughed, “There’s certainly room.” He commented, grasping the change of subject gratefully. “I think we both know where I’m going to end up sleeping though.”  
~~~~  
“Yeah?” Tim tried to hold in his smile and was sure he was failing. He had that positive hopeful feeling again. Like maybe things were looking up, in his favor. “Where exactly is that?” ‘Please say with me.’   
~~~~  
Jason would have mussed Tim’s hair, but the concussion gave him pause. Teasing would have to wait. “Next to you, Sir Cuddles.” Jason said with enough teasing in his voice to make up for the lack of hair mussing. “At least till you fall asleep at nights, I remember how lightly you sleep and I got my own nightmares that make me kick out. Wouldn’t mix.”  
~~~~  
Tim did smile at that and roll his eyes at the teasing. He didn’t mind the teasing at all. It felt good. “I guess that sounds fair.” -He watched as the car rolled into the garage, the lights turned on, and the scanners went to work on the car before it was even stopped. “You can have the rest of these fries. I really can't finish them, but I’m keeping the power aid.”  
~~~~  
“S’why I bought it.” Jason said climbing out of the car, cardboard drink tray in hand. “Need help?” Jason asked vaguely, thinking he would get the computer work at least started before he turned in. At the same time he wondered if he was going to play security blanket again if Tim decided to sleep. ‘He should sleep, he nearly passed out in the car.’


	16. Hey Mr. Tambourine Man play a song for me, I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For wintersnight and the amazing encouragement that inspires us to keep going! Thank you!

Tim had the door open when Jason asked if he needed help and it gave him pause. He was tired. Tired enough that he’d very nearly fell asleep talking to the man in the car. The painkillers had worn off and more than his head, his side was throbbing. Getting in some rest sounded really good but he did have reports to write and info to organize. Unconsciously he bit at his lip as he considered what course of action he should take, sleep or do his reports? “... I could do them from my laptop...” Tim thought out loud.  
~~~~  
“If you’re talking about the computer work that needs doing I already had a mind to get started on it.” Jason said, drawing his own conclusions from Tim’s words. “You got good intel, you ate, you’re hurt. Next up’s sleep.” Jason said, ticking off his list of personal priorities after patrols. “Speaking of hurt it’s been a few hours since we gave you something for the pain, Did we miss the next dose?”  
~~~~  
He shouldn’t be so surprised, really Jason is a Bat too... but Tim is so surprised all he can do for a moment is stare. He wasn’t sure if Jason had been keeping track or reading his mind. Which was crazy since he knew Jason didn’t read minds which left him with only one option. Jason had been keeping track of him. Of how he was doing, not babying him, but watching out for him. Tim was so blown away by the revelation he mindlessly answered Jason honestly. “Ok... uh yeah, we did about 45 minutes ago...”  
~~~~  
“Shit.” Jason said, peeling the domino off his face with one hand, the bottle of adhesive solvent in the other. “Where’d I leave the bottle? Your room?” Jason thought about it, but that particular detail was escaping him. “Right, well it’s either in the bathroom or the bedroom.” Jason reasoned, shoving the domino into his jacket pocket and stripping off the jacket in the same motion, “That doesn’t solve what you’re going to do though, get some sleep, or get paperwork done.” Jason called it paperwork, but there was very little paper actually involved. Still, the phrase was one he was used to using. “And do you need help with anything?” Jason thought that Tim might need a hand getting out of that reinforced red tunic.  
~~~~  
“Nightstand in the bedroom.” Tim stood from the car and shut the door. Making his way over to his desk he sat down and picked up the solvent, working on his own mask. He never seemed to use enough of the stuff to pull it off without the sting but easily ignored it in favor of figuring out what he wanted to do. “Well I do need to get my paperwork done...” Unclipping his cape he let it hang over the chair and he started on his suit, which seemed to be easier to get on than it was to get off at the moment. “I can work... from my laptop... till... I fall... asleep...” He said in between struggling to get his suit and armor off and not doing a great job of it.  
~~~~  
Jason slipped out of his boots, watching Tim struggle, “For the love of…” there wasn’t really any way to finish the statement. Most people would end in God, but that didn’t have much to do with Robins. Jason might say Robin, but that was Damian’s role now and he wasn’t sure how Damian and Tim got on. He could say Batman, except he was almost sure that Tim actually was in love with Batman or Bruce or both on some level, and with them not exactly on the best of terms, it was better to leave the statement unfinished. It raised an interesting question though. What did Tim have left that he loved?

“Do you need help?” Jason asked yet again, standing in his socks, undershirt and pants. The live rounds clip was strapped to his left ankle, but he wasn’t thinking about that now. Jason was wondering if he shouldn’t get the pain medication first, or help tim out of his uniform.  
~~~~  
At Jason’s question Tim heaved a heavy sigh, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling before closing his eyes in defeat. He just couldn't reach around to undo the stupid clasp without pulling on his stitches. He could tell the activities had his wound bleeding earlier and the bandage seemed to be dried to the armor. In hindsight he should have worn an undershirt and he wouldn't be having this problem right now but at the time it just seemed to add more weight and restriction. 

“Yeah... yeah I could use some help.” He said slowly as the feeling of being totally useless washed over him. Not even being able to get his own clothes off was like a slap in the face. ‘Can't throw a line, can't scale a building, and now i can't get my clothes off. Bravo Tim, you're completely useless.’  
~~~~  
“Hey now. Your face will freeze like that if you’re not careful.” Jason joked, undoing the clasps that were giving Tim trouble. “Lets get you out of uniform and into bed with some meds in you and I’ll bring you your laptop.” Jason wasn’t about to argue. Tim would be in bed, and if the younger man made it with ten whole minutes of consciousness then Jason would just have to start singing again. He knew where to pick his battles.  
~~~~  
“Fine.” Tim gritted out as the armor was pulled from the bandage which was pulled from his wound. The whole area felt raw and open and Tim had a sick inkling to poke at it that he resisted. “I need to clean and change this first.” He gestured at the messed up bandaging. The last thing he wanted was to sleep in bloody bandages and bleed all over his bed.  
~~~~  
“That pronoun is properly pronounced ‘we’ since it’s going to be hard as hell for you to change the back bandages by yourself. Come on, lets move this to your room, get you set up.” Jason remarked blandly. “Tell me where your laptop is and stuff.” Jason removed Tim’s tunic gently, moving through the pieces of Tim’s uniform gently. “Really should have gotten you the pain medication first, sorry.”  
~~~~  
Tim didn’t know what to do. Jason apoligised. People don’t say their sorry to Tim when they didn’t do something for him or even when they did something bad. They defended themselves because they had reasons for doing what they did and it was Tim’s fault for being hurt by it and not understanding. So he had no clue what to do.

“I’ve changed them myself before.” He mumbled and shrugged. “Its my fault I didn’t take the meds sooner. Um... My laptop is in the office in the apartment... on the desk.” He offered quietly. He really should have taken the meds sooner, then Jason wouldn't have to be thinking about it right now. It was his responsibility, he should have taken them.  
~~~~  
“Seeing as how you’re fighting a concussion, just shook an infection, are ignoring a GSW, AND went to work tonight we’ll just call it both of our slip up due to higher priorities.” Jason said, not liking how Tim was attacking himself in light of a mistake. Such a minor oversight too, Jason would have to watch that. A lot of his more careful instincts he’d gained taking care of Roy were being tickled by Tim in unpleasant ways. Jason stood up, moving to collect the Laptop, pausing just long enough to unbuckle his live round harness from his ankle, letting it dangle from one loop off his wrist. “You good?” Jason asked, wondering if Tim would make it to the room without needing Jason for balance. He’d kiss Tim’s head while the other slept as a reward if he could do it himself, Jason decided.  
~~~~  
Nodding he stood carefully ignoring the pain in his side and followed Jason. He’d had nothing to say to that and it was confusing. Tim wasn't sure if he was being placated or if Jason just meant it. In one sentence he’d managed to compliment him and tell him it wasn't his fault at the same time in a way Tim had no clue how to respond to other than accept it. So he kept quiet and tried to think on the statement and how he should accept it. It was like some random thing being placed in his hands that he wasn’t sure what it was or what to do with it. He made his way to the bathroom and pulled out the first aid kit still thinking it over.  
~~~~  
“I HEAR you thinking babybird.” Jason said chuckling from the bedroom, grabbing the bottle of pain medication, “Give that concussed brain of yours a break. You’ve earned another hour’s nap I think.” Jason set the pill bottle in Tim’s hands, grabbing cup and filling it with water, knowing full well Tim could swallow the pills dry if he had to. Tim didn’t have to though.

Jason cut away the bandages once again, checking the entrance and exit wound delicately and he was glad that Tim didn’t need any stitches redone. “On an honest pain scale, one to one hundred, where are you at?” Jason said, “Should I give you another local so you can get some sleep without the pain?” Jason had the anesthetic in each of his own first aid kits, it wouldn’t hurt to put just enough to take the pain away long enough to let Tim sleep. He might have to order some more.  
~~~~  
Embarrassed at being caught over thinking Tim accepted the pills quietly, even accepting the water. He didn't need it but it was nice not swallowing them dry. Watching with morbid fascination as Jason checked his wound and stitches he sighed and tried to actually gauge his pain level. he only had two doses of the anesthetic left then he’d be out for a while. Till he could either order more or get some from the cave. Neither seemed like something he would like to deal with but ordering them saved him from the looks of disappointment from Bruce and Alfred or pity from Dick.

“68 to 76 percent I guess? Save the local. There’s only two left. Ordering them will take time, so just save em for when they’re really needed.” Tim sighed. The pain meds would do for now he supposed.  
~~~~  
“I got about seven kits with the same stuff in different safe houses, I’m sure one or two of those have this stuff coming due to expire before too long. I gotta go check ‘em. I had a log but I fell behind on it. We got local to spare while an order comes in.” Jason countered reasonably, preparing the partial dosage, “There, this should be just enough to help you sleep.” Jason kept the needle still in the little bottle, “Still no?” He hoped Tim would reconsider, the kid needed easy sleep.  
~~~~  
Tim felt a little uneasy. He wasn’t used to this. To being taken care of, looked after, or gently countered in his decisions. He looked away from Jason and the anesthetic rubbing his palm on his knee for a moment and looked back weighing his options. It felt like a test of some sort even though he knew it wasn't. Jason was trying, giving him choices, and was being so gentle about it Tim didn’t know what to do about it. It was confusing. He looked away again. “Yeah ok.”  
~~~~  
Jason smiled, wanting and resisting the urge to ruffle Tim’s hair. ‘Not with a concussion.’ Jason reminded himself as he carefully injected the local in the optimal places that would numb the area of the wound, both front and back. Jason let more of the medication go to the back side of the wound, as Tim would be laying on that side. ‘At least he’s willing to spare himself pain.’ Jason thought to himself as he put away the local, disposed of the sharp, and started wrapping Tim’s injuries again. The ankle holster caught on a dried cut on Jason’s wrist that he’d honestly forgotten about during the night. It was on the top of his forearm, missing any major blood vessels but it had still bled hard, flaking bits of dried blood sticking to his arm hairs. It hadn’t even hurt all that much, but suddenly Jason worried how Tim would react.  
~~~~  
“You...” Tim bit at his lip worried and a bit upset. He’d noticed the cut as Jason was wrapping him up. His eye’s followed Jason’s movement silently. Words like ‘you should clean that’ and ‘let me check it’ and ‘are you ok’. were all trying to make it out of his mouth and none seemed to make it. Here he was getting taken care of when Jason was hurt, possibly seriously. He wanted to help but continuous stream of growled ‘I’m fine’s’, yelled ‘don’t touch me’s’, and a slew of other words of rejection flew threw his mind. So Tim pointed at the wound and held out his hand fulling expecting it to be slapped away but Jason was trying with him so he had to try too right? Even if it would kill him inside when he was shut out.  
~~~~  
“Me?” Jason asked, looking at the cut, “Yeah, kinda forgot about this, you know when you have other things on your mind and things that should be obvious just totally slip it?” Jason gently tied the last of Tim’s bandages before slipping the ankle holster off his wrist. He gave his hand to Tim, placing the first aid kit on the kid’s lap.  
~~~~  
Surprised was the word of the day for Tim it seemed. He wasn’t turned away. He wasn’t turned away. Carefully he took Jason’s hand and opened the peroxide pouring some on some gauze and started carefully cleaning away the blood. It wasn’t deep enough to need serious stitches or cause major damage. ‘Three butterfly stitches should do.’ Tim thought to himself. He kept watching Jason’s face to see if he was hurting him or even more if he’d change his mind and pull away. 

He knew how he could forget or ignore injuries, he messed up enough, but he didn’t see Jason forgetting. “It doesn't look like it did any major damage... should use the local.” Tim quickly pulled out the bottle and another syringe. 

‘I knew I shouldn’t have taken it. I knew it. Now there’s only enough for Jason to have one dose. I need to get more from the cave. I shouldn’t have taken it.’ His hands shook minutely the more he thought about it and he prayed Jason didn’t notice. ‘I can't even get this right. How do I not notice. God, I shouldn’t have taken it. I don't even deserve it.’ “...I’m sorry.”  
~~~~  
“Sure, If you think it’s necessary.” Jason said with a shrug, Tim looked like he’d gotten coal for Christmas after saving it in the first place. Personally Jason didn’t think he’d need the local for a couple of stitches, but if Tim was allowed to ignore injuries and Jason was allowed to tend him at his call, then it had to work in reverse. “Like I said, I got near full bottles that’ll expire in a couple months that gotta get used.”

The kid (and with his face so hurt and tentative Jason could justify calling someone only a couple of years his junior, ‘kid’) looked like he was just WAITING to be told the tooth fairy wasn’t real, or that he was the reason the puppy died. Carefully concealed pain wasn’t just a physical burden on Tim, Jason was DAMN sure it was emotional too. Habits and thought paradigms that were born when Roy was laying on a mattress on the floor with no sheets screaming to be ended while Jason cleaned up vomit were clanging in his head again. Usually they only cropped up when he stopped Jumpers on rooftops. Oh shit. Tim needed reassurance, he needed support without patronizing and coddling. Tim wasn’t a child and wouldn’t tolerate being treated like one, he wasn’t an invalid and needed a certain independence. At the same time Tim was like a Gothic cathedral, without some serious support he just wasn’t going to stay standing long. He needed something else too,and Jason wasn’t sure what it was but he sort of figured it was the reason his wrist was being treated like a spun glass sculpture, and why he was asked to move in.  
~~~~  
‘Thats right. Jason has more. I won't have to go to the cave.I didn’t completely screw up?’ “Ok.” Tim nodded trying to accept it and failing. Instead he shoved it down with the rest of the guilt and failure and let it lie. He focused on taking care of Jason and blanking his mind. Administering the local and making sure it had started working before pressing the wound together and adding the butterfly stitches. He wrapped it carefully. “I-its not too tight is it?”  
~~~~  
Jason rotated his wrist experimentally, “Shouldn’t feel it unless I gotta do a lotta fancy wrist turning in a short period. Since I apprenticed under Batman and not Catwoman I won’t be cracking any safes anytime soon, so that shouldn’t be a problem while it heals up.” Jason pushed his palms together, “Doesn’t strain when I put pressure to my hand, so full range of fighting is still in.” Rambling, Jason was rambling… But, Tim might need the visual and verbal assurance. Jason bit his tongue against the dirty joke about having to avoid getting arrested and masturbating, that was a Roy instinct, Jason would need to feel out Tim for if he was okay with that kind of lewd humor. Tim had never shown any signs of interest before, but Jason always was the most crass Robin in the lineup.

“Now, into bed with you, laptop and reports until sleep.” Jason said, patting the side of Tim’s calf muscle twice, standing and waiting for Tim to follow suit, ready if Tim should need help standing.  
~~~~  
Tim watched Jason like a hawk for signs of pain or stress as he moves his wrist. Everything seemed to be fine. The wrappings stayed in place and Jason didn't seem to be hurting when he applied pressure. The knot in his stomach seemed to loosen and he felt like he could relax a little. 

Standing wasn't a problem when he had the wall to steady himself. There wasn't a pull in his side as there usually was, which meant the local was working. “I have a lot to write up. I didn’t do my reports for the last two days. Tomorrow we should go over our info and come up with a plan.”  
~~~~  
“Tomorrow.” Jason agreed and for some reason the tone he’d said the word in made it sound like a promise to do more than reports. Tomorrow afternoon, or evening, they were technically a solid 24 hours support crew and once Alfred found out about what happened to Tim it would be another 24. Concussions were a mandatory 24 plus surveillance and or company. Jason would fulfill that. “Get comfy, I’ll be right back.”

Jason moved to one of his bags and pulled out his mini tool kit, grabbing his helmet as he moved back to the bedroom. Jason was just in pants so he didn’t have any qualms about just laying out over the blankets and opening the little kit to perform routine maintenance on his ‘hood.’ While he chose the right screwdriver Jason cast around for a song to hum.  
~~~~  
Still in his uniform pants Tim went over to the dresser and pulled out some sweatpants and quickly changed into them. He had to use the dresser for support but at least he didn't have to sit down to get dressed. That would have been a stab to his pride... what was left of it. 

Getting into the bed and under the covers he slid his laptop onto his lap. Logging in to his base computer through a back door access in the system he’d created for just this reason he started on his report. Starting with meeting up with Jason on the roof to give him the info he’d needed.  
~~~~  
Jason removed one panel and checked the battery pack, he would have to get to one of his supply points and replace it early in the night next time he went out. A good song, a nice slow one that actually served as a good lullabye that didn’t have to do with falling cradles. All that Jason was coming up with were power ballads, that counted right? Next was the little eyedropper to test seal integrity on the explosive compartment. No bubbles. Tim might be able to force himself awake for HOURS, what did Jason know?

A good, SOFT song. Something smooth and warm. One with the perfect low and sweet guitar. A riff drifted through Jason’s head, Jason hummed a few bars, before mentally tossing the song aside, he was nearly ten seconds into carry on my wayward son before he remembered how intense the song got in the middle. Jason hummed tunelessly for a few moments before the plucked strings of a sweet sweet Guitar traveled through his brain and into his throat. “And I’d give up forever to touch you, cause I know that you’ll feel me somehow. You’re the closest to heaven, that I’ll ever be, and I don’t wanna go home right now.” Iris, Jason remembered, by the Goo Goo Dolls. He stuck with it, it was exactly the feeling that Jason wanted.  
~~~~  
Tim caught the beginnings of a Kansas song before Jason seemed to change his mind. Typing away at the keyboard he put in as many details as he could remember which was all of them minus the personal stuff. He knew Babs would get into his system at some point and he didn’t need to be judged on his personal relationships by her or anyone else. So he left out the promise he broke with Jason about meeting up with him later to sleep. He stuck to the harsh facts of his screw up and getting shot. It was a cold analysis of the situation. Distant and disconnected. He just... couldn’t feel that right now, so he stuck to the facts. His chest felt tight just writing it. Jason’s singing morphed from random tune to the Goo Goo Dolls. He’d listened to the song a million times. It was one of his favorites. It was a beautifully calming sound. “God I love Jason’s voice.” Shit! did he just type that?! Tim quickly deleted the sentence. ‘Focus Tim!’  
~~~~  
“And all I can taste is this moment,” Jason sang, this song being perfect for his low timber, “And all I can breathe is your life. And sooner or later it’s over, I just don’t wanna miss you tonight.” Jason knew the song got louder here, but he let his voice stay soft, “And I don’t want the world to see me, Because I don’t think that they’d understand. When everything’s made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.” Keeping his singing soft and on the edge of not a whisper wasn’t something that Jason was used to, if he was singing it was to fill his own silence, but here he was trying to help Tim lull himself to sleep. The verses came out naturally, memorised not by eidetic memory, but years and years of repetition. Jason hummed the interlude between the second and third repeat of the refrain and before too long he was at the end of the song, humming out the outro, but just rolling it right back into the intro. He’d say he had a habit of singing (which was at least half true) if Tim complained about it.  
~~~~  
The song was perfect in the way it was soothing. It crept into Tim’s body and helped him relax. He was used to dead silence, too used to it and at times it felt crushing. Add in the emotional hardship of writing down his own major mistake that got Jason involved to begin with and everyone looking at him, upset in one way or another, and usually Tim would be fighting off a panic attack about now. But that song, one that was already a comfort to him, being sung with a voice that was so soothing it had put him to sleep was doing wonders for him. He was a little sad it wasn’t Sweet Child O Mine but this was good too. He was relaxed against his pillows and his head seemed to slowly tilt to the side every so often before he’d catch himself and sit up again. After a while he noticed he was messing up his spelling and took a breath to focus and continue typing.  
~~~~  
Tim was, Jason cast around for a word, floundering? Maybe floundering was it. Either way he was trying so hard to stay awake and type, but as Jason checked the individual compartments of his helmet (running a full check for once even though his quarterly check wasn’t due yet) he noticed the backspace button being hit a fair few times. Jason saw that as a sign of his tactic working and kept singing. “ And you can’t fight the tears that ain’t coming, Or the moment of truth in your lies. When everything feels like the movies, yeah you bleed just to know you’re alive.” Maybe the word was faltering, Flickering? Wilting? No, that sounded like a flower.  
~~~~  
After a few of his spelling mistakes turning into full word mistakes Tim stretched his fingers out over the keyboard for a moment and worked on keeping his eyes open. After a second he went back to typing. His eyes felt heavy and had a slight burn to them that let him know he was tired and should sleep, however, Tim ignored it. He didn't have too much more to type up. He could suck it up and get it done. 

After a while his word mistakes turned into several words, which in turn turned into full sentences, which as his eyes closed turned into full paragraphs and almost a whole page of the songs lyrics. Over and over again they lyrics were typed out till even Tim’s fingers slowed to a stop finishing with ‘-just want you to know who I ammmmmmmmmmmmm-’.  
~~~~  
That. Was a lot of M’s.

A few pages worth really, Tim’s finger had settled over the key when Tim had finally settled into sleep. Jason sang a few more lines from the song, humming the interlude just in case as he gently lifted Tim’s hands off the keyboard and slipped it off Tim’s torso. Still, the M’s weren’t the endearing part, Tim had started transcribing Jason’s lullaby to him. Stubborn and in need of sleep AND a concussion and he still managed to go back and correct most of the spelling errors. Jason smiled at the report, saved it, and started his own work, starting with an email to Alfred confessing his failure as a nurse. He forwarded the data on his disc in chunks to Barbara, along with all of Tim’s reports save this most recent one.

‘He’s connected to his base computer through this thing, That’s amazing.’ Jason thought to himself. ‘Computers were never my strong suit.’  
~~~~  
Suddenly uncomfortable in his position Tim shifted close enough to lean against Jason. His body was warm and the smooth sounds coming from the man was a lullaby that quickly had him back asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Its a funny story about the songs Jason is picking. Vera picked them because we both LOVE those songs (I'm a HUGE Goo Goo Dolls and Guns and Roses fan and I know she is too) and they are the songs that I listen to when I an having a hard time sleeping. We actually chose Sweet Child 'o Mine as our wedding dance song because of this RP. She sings it to me all the time to make me smile too! I cant listen to Iris without thinking of her either. This chapter was a major turning point in our relationship. Its when we became much more than friends. I cant read this without smiling and thinking of Vera and all the wonderful things she does for me! Like putting the Bat Symbol on our wedding cake and the wedding being 'Robin/ Bird' themed. It made me so happy!! Looking back, this moment where Jason is singing to Tim is what really changed things for me and means a lot in my relationship with my now wife, Vera. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH VERA!! -Robin


	17. Kitchen's and wall's of MMMMMMMMMMMM...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For DickGrayson9YearOldSuperhero and wintersnight who keep pushing me to keep going with this. THANK YOU!!

Jason raised an eyebrow at his successor and once Tim was verified as still sleeping, Jason continued his work. halfway through writing his own reports Jason decided to just add his more casual notes to Tim’s meticulous reports. Time passed that way until Jason was writing up his own separate report on the last 48 hours. A casual readthrough of Tim’s report made Jason think that keeping his notes off of Tim’s latest report might be best somehow. Tim was going to have a private fit when he realized he’d written nearly a page of lyrics to Iris and several more pages of just the letter M. Jason emailed back and forth with Barbara, not too terribly worried about getting that information meticulously in line anymore because two of the three OCD think tanks were on it. He could worry more about what he was good at: Leg work and fist work.

Not to say that Jason wasn’t highly intelligent, not to say that he couldn’t do all this research on his own, but really, if someone else was already on it, why not play to each one’s individual strengths? Jason always found computer work tedious. It was getting early, Jason would need to catch his own Zs before he headed out to observe more CAREFULLY what was going down at the docks. So Jason moved to the even more spartan guest room and stripping down to his boxers, crashed. His internal clock would have him up by ten.

He wouldn’t sleep all the way till ten.

Jason is in a black suit. He knows now the difference between a suit and a tuxdeo and he really doesn’t feel comfortable in either. Either way it’s too hot to be wearing this thing, why is he wearing this thing?

Everyone is wearing black in this hot sun around him, all the faces he recognizes, even Jade carrying Lian both in somber black dresses, Lian is confused, but it’s Jade’s blank look that makes Jason realize what happened.

“No... no.” There is a hand on his shoulder, the grip is probably meant to be bracing but it just hurts. It’s Ollie, and he looks like hell. “Don’t blame yourself Jay. We did our best.”

“Your best?!” Jade spits, suddenly not blank anymore, “Your BEST cost Lian her FATHER!”

 

No.

“Mommy.” Lian whines, she doesn’t like how angry her mother is, even if it’s not at her.

“No one could know he would … Jason was on a supply run and I had gone to the BATHROOM da--!” Ollie visibly chokes on the curse word, not willing to let it go in front of Lian. Jason doesn’t know why he bothers, he’s sure Lian’s heard them all. For his own part Jason doesn’t want to believe it. Roy, Roy can’t be GONE.

No.

“I don’t blame you Jay, I don’t.” Jade tells him later, but how much later Jason can’t tell time doesn’t seem to mean anything. “I blame HIM.”

“Jade, don’t do anything that will cause trouble for Lian.” Is out of Jason’s mouth before he can think about it, “She needs you to be HERE for her.”

“Why don’t you leave care for my family to me? Obviously I can’t depend on others.” Jade snaps and suddenly Jason knows, Lian isn’t going to have either of her parents because Jade is going to go to prison.

No.

No.

Another orphan, will she also find her way to the doorstep of wayne manor? The next Batgirl? A new Robin? The next Cheshire Cat?

No.

No.

No.

Roy. Dead. Despite his best efforts.

“No. Please no.” Jason pleads as the coffin is lowered into the ground. “No. NO. NO! NO!”

Jason wakes to his own shouting.  
~~~~  
Tim wakes suddenly at the sound of a voice coming from somewhere in his apartment. His breathing is heavy and he looking for the attacker. It takes a long moment to remember that Jason was staying with him and the sound was more likely him than some assassin. Of course he decides to grab his spare bow staff next to his bed, just in case. The sound is coming from the guest room and it’s definitely Jason’s voice he hears which is both calming and worrying. He’s not under attack which is good but there’s definitely something wrong. Jason sounds stressed? Upset. Very upset. He stop halfway to reaching for the door handle. Its Jason’s room now. He should respect that. He knocks softly instead, “Jason?” Knocks again. “Jay?”  
~~~~  
Jason is awake, which is the only thing he wanted while he was dreaming. Now he’s faced with a dark room that isn’t familiar, a thudding heart that threatens mutiny, and lungs that feel like they haven’t taken a full breath in a fortnight. Jason is panting, panting too hard to actually be able to answer Tim, but panting hard enough that he thinks Tim can hear it through the door. “D-Dream.” Jason splutters out, rolling over to breath a little easier on his back, how much sleep did he manage this time?

Then it hits him. He woke Tim.  
~~~~  
“Jay... I... I’m gonna come in o-ok?” He asks worried. Jason isn't answering and he can hear panicked breathing. He sets his staff against the wall and turns the door handle opening the door a crack. “Just don't shoot ok? I’m Tim.” He opens the door a little wider and prays he’s not going to get shot... again.  
~~~~  
“Was a new one.” Jason mumbled, mostly to himself. He understood that Tim was referring to Jason’s tendency to go to sleep armed. He didn’t sleep with guns though, Jason slept with a hunting knife. Or at least, he did most nights. ‘Did I actually go to bed UNARMED?’ Jason wondered. He would fix that. Still what he had said was true, this was a new nightmare to add to the roster. Jason’s panting was getting under control like it usually did after just distressing nightmares and not violent ones. “Not real.” he affirmed aloud. Roy was alive. Roy hadn’t died on his watch. 

Tim was there, the back of his head insisted, Tim was awake, what TIME was it? “Time is it?” Jason mumbled.  
~~~~  
‘A new nightmare.’ Tim thought as he carefully made his way into the room and to Jason’s bedside. The man seemed awake enough not to lash out but he’d learned the hard way that some people, Bruce mostly, could hold full conversations in their sleep and still be deadly when they attack. 

“Yeah its just a dream. Its 8:42 in the morning.” Tim said slowly. “Do you know where you are?”  
~~~~  
“Yer place.” Jason mumbles. “Ugh, almost made it to 10 a clock.” Laborously, Jason sits up in bed. Tim is looking cautious, like he thinks Jason is going to attack. “Knockit off.” Jason says, rubbing his face tiredly, “Yer too vigilant for just got up.” Jason slumps forward, “Shouldn’t even be up, GSW, concussion, scraps and bruises.” Jason sighs, “Hell, neither should I. Still, now we are… Breakfast.” Jason rolls to one side of the bed setting down his feet only to jerk them back up again, “CHRIST, the floor’s cold.” Jason moves to a duffel on the dresser, grabbing a pair of thick compression socks and shoving them on his feet. “What’s in the kitchen worth making breakfast with?” Jason asks moving to the door, stretching and yawning, some part of him still asleep and running on auto-pilot.  
~~~~  
‘He knows where he’s at, good.’ Tim thought and tried to stifle a flinch when Jason told him to ‘knock it off’. Suddenly he felt awkward in his own skin and wasn't sure how to stand to ‘knock it off’. It wasn’t like there was a switch to just turn off his training. “Sorry, Its habit.” He shrugged. He’d been attacked in his sleep too often to not be hyper aware when he woke up. “Uh, I have no idea. I haven’t been in there in a ...while...” It occurred to Tim how bad that could sound and Jason would be right. He’d basically been living off of protien bars... when he hated them. He really didn’t have the greatest relationship with food anymore. He knew how it started. Being with Ra’s had made him stay away from possibly drugged foods and it just became a habit that snowballed.  
~~~~  
“No?” Jason mumbled, “Kay, food run first then.” Jason moved back to his duffel, pulling out pants, a shirt, a pair of sneakers and one of his many wallets. “Standard breakfast run.” Jason mumbled, pulling out a pad of paper with a pen jammed in it’s wire spiral, “Christ, I need coffee, and a bear claw.” He started jotting down the basics for a hearty breakfast, Milk, eggs, bread, orange juice, oatmeal, potatoes for hashbrowns, bacon, sausages, (may alfred forgive him) bisquick, butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, oregano, and pepper. Jason frowned, he was forgetting SOMETHING… Scanning the list once more for what he could have missed, Jason added vanilla extract. Was he going to make all of this THIS particular morning? No, but he was going to live here wasn’t he? If not today then another day.  
~~~~  
“Um, I-I don't, usually, cook...” Tim said quietly rubbing at his arm, It was a nervous gesture. Once he noticed he was doing it he crossed his arms to make himself stop. It wasn’t that he couldn't cook, he’d learned enough from Alfred to be able to cook a good amount of things. It just made him anxious. First the food had to be right, then the cooking had to done correctly, then of course there was the cleaning. Everything had to be clean. The dishes, the sink, the stove, and countertops. Everytime. Somewhere in his head he knew it was overkill but it was habit from when he was a kid. The house had to be spotless. He could see this might be a disaster in the making but he would suck it up to keep Jason around. He sighed staring at the list that just kept getting longer, “I should probably get dressed...”   
~~~~  
“Nothin fancy. We’re just going to the nearest decent corner market.” Jason advised, pulling on pants and shirt. Feeling the stubble on his face he wondered if he should bother shaving it or if he should leave it to look more ‘plain clothes.’ He’d leave it, he decided. shoving the wallet in his back pocket and slipping on his shoes Jason moved to the bathroom to wash up.  
~~~~  
Tim nodded and headed to his room. Jeans and a tshirt was really the most he wanted to manage right now anyway. He cleaned up in the bathroom quickly and combed his fingers through his hair. It was going to do what it wanted anyway, why bother. Slipping on his converse and a hoodie, he grabbed his keys and wallet from the dresser and headed to the door before stopping. His pain meds would be wearing off in the next hour and he needed to take the meds for the infection again. Sighing he grabbed up the pain pills from the nightstand and the antibiotic from the bathroom and dry swallowed all of them and headed out to the living room to find Jason.   
~~~~  
Jason rubbed some temporary dye into his streak, brushed his teeth and washed his face to try and wake up. He combed his hair some and slipped on a pair of cowboy boots he would never admit to having bought because he LIKED them. They were comfortable, they slipped on and off, laceless, had enough room for a clutch piece if he needed one. They weren’t patterned outrageously and the toes weren’t too pointed, Still, Jason felt too much like a city boy in costume when he wore them. “Just a city boy, Born and raised in SOUTH Detroit.” Jason pocketed the list and a wallet with a fake ID and full of small bills, “Took a midnight train goin’ AN-NY-Where.” Jason laughed, humming scattered bits of the song here and there. If he was going to convince Tim that him singing wasn’t something he was doing for Tim special, he’d better get into a habit.  
~~~~  
The soft sound of Jason singing in the other room managed to put a small smile on his face. He hadn’t expected Jason to be so vocal but it was endearing. Dick usually did it to either fill the silence or to be as obnoxious as possible. Jason seemed to do it just because it entertained him and that just made it better in Tim’s eyes.   
~~~~  
Jason called he was ready to go if Tim was, Jason even let himself laugh. This was so surreal. He might even hazard that he was even a little warm inside. Of course he might just be hungry, but he thought that maybe it might be a bit chilly in hell because he felt confident in this case for once.   
~~~~  
“Yeah.” Tim followed Jason out the door. The store was really only two blocks away. It wasn't huge but it had all the basics and even some unexpected things. The Minute Mart had been in the area since the 30’s, run and owned by the same family. It had a bakery, deli, and even a nice coffee stand in the front. It was a good size and reasonably priced. “So what’s on your list?”  
~~~~  
“All things needed for breakfast. I went overboard, but I figure stock the kitchen while we’re out. Really we should go for a full stock but this is going to be a good bit for us to carry home as it is.” Jason grabbed a backpack. “Might ask Alfred to get the kitchen stocked for us while we put finishing touches on our data while we shuffle two cases into one.”  
~~~~  
Tim didn't say anything, only nodded slowly as a feeling of worry settled on him. If the kitchen was stocked that would mean cooking and cooking led to messes. A few things here and there he could handle but a fully stocked kitchen? He wasn't so sure, but Jason seemed to want this. So he’d have to suck it up and try to deal. “O-ok. Lead on then.”  
~~~~  
“You okay babybird?” Jason asked, Tim looked concerned. “It’s okay to take the time to refuel, We did reports before bed, the both of us.” Jason moved out onto the street. “I dunno about you, but I’m thinking eggs. Maybe ham and cheese omelettes with toast? We don’t have to get everything on the list like, right now.” Jason wasn’t ENTIRELY sure what was going on, but he hoped that Tim was just worried about their time table.  
~~~~  
“I... I don’t cook, it...” Tim sighed walking beside Jason. “Nothing.” He shook his head. It was stupid really when he thought about it. He knew it was. It just never stopped being something that bugged him. Why bother Jason about it? They had to eat. It was a fact. He didn’t expect people to live like he did or for Jason to order out all the time. He would just have to deal with the mess and the cleaning.  
~~~~  
Shrugging, Jason just said, “That’s cool, Alfred taught me, I can cook.” Yeah, no, Jason just didn’t get it. Sadly enough it didn’t look like Tim was going to be very forthcoming. ‘Lets just get some food in us.’ Jason thought to himself. ‘Get these assholes taken off the streets, and then we’ll talk about this later.’ The store was well lit, if small, the layout wasn’t too difficult to understand and even though jason only bought a fraction of his list, the shoulder bag came in handy.  
~~~~  
Thanking the universe for Jason’s choice to only buy about half of his original list, Tim eyed the backpack and two bags of food. They really hadn't bought that much it just looked like a lot of potentially messy food. Especially the pancake mix. Pancakes were always VERY messy, gooey, and sticky that just seemed to get everywhere. Tim loved pancakes he just was stressing over the mess they would cause. He was going to need a big cup of coffee to make it through this.   
~~~~  
Jason walked only as fast as Tim did, but tried hard not to make it too obvious what he was doing, humming Radioactive by Imagine Dragons. The song wasn’t really his typical listen, he prefered Rock, classic most of all, but the song had been playing out of someone’s window while he was on stakeout, he’d liked it and had bought the song. Jason wasn’t as impressed with the other song he’d previewed, but he still had a mental note to research them further later. 

It really wasn’t far to the local grocery, it had a nice homey feel and Jason knew this place was now as safe as safe could get with Red Robin’s base so close. Maybe Red Hood’s as well? This wasn’t exactly convenient for his turf but, if he was going to move in, they might be able to tag team the combined area. Red Turf, Jason mused, thinking it was about time he made a bigger play against these jack-off gangs that thought they could hire killers to eliminate their competition while they dealt drugs, guns, robbed mom and pop shops, and… then there was the rumors about what was happening to the kids.

Jason deliberately didn’t think about that yet. He had breakfast to make, a GSW to check on, and then a case to consolidate and solidify with Tim, where he would lay bare all he knew, and the things he’d only heard rumors of. “Welcome to a new age, to a new age.” Jason harmonized vaguely. He hadn’t grown up with this song, hadn’t known it since childhood, hadn’t sung it until even Bruce’s patience wore thin, and because of that, his grip on the song was flimsy. It didn’t matter though, it was a current song and they would be dismissed all the easier for hyping a top charter than rocking the classics. ‘These kids today with their techno pop music.’ Jason thought, amusing and distracting himself.  
~~~~  
Not sure what song Jason had chosen to sing Tim just listened content with the happy sound. It seemed happy to Tim. Jason did it with a smile no matter how small it was and always seemed content, happy or amused when he sung or hummed. It in turn made Tim feel the same way, on a smaller scale at times but the feeling was there and that was important to him.

The walk home was a short one and the neighborhood seemed to be doing fine. The people here knew this was Red Robin’s area and were content that they were safe. Jason’s turf wasn’t far from his, they were right next to each other, bordering each other. ‘It wouldn’t be too much to just band together would it?’ Tim thought unlocking and opening the door.   
~~~~  
Jason moved to the kitchen, noting with displeasure he very carefully kept off his face how empty the space was. “I’m Radioactive, Radioactive…. I raise my flag, da- dah-duh, humm-mm-hmmm.” The kitchen was meticulously cleaned, even the shelves, and organized to the point that Jason felt intrusive putting the ingredients on the counter while they waited to find homes in the refrigerator. Knotting the shopping bags, leaving one out and ready to claim the trash from cooking, (eggshells and the like) Jason explored the cabinets, finding that everything was clearly organized, in it’s place and sorted by size. Oh crap. He found the pans easily enough but he worried about interfering with a kitchen so… sterilized.

It WOULD be just like Babybird to be a neat freak, an affliction, Jason could never hope to share. “Any requests for breakfast Babybird?” Jason asked, trying very hard not to comment on the kitchen with even his body language. Suddenly he was worried this whole ‘living situation’ wasn’t going to work out after all.  
~~~~  
Only stepping in the kitchen long enough to set the bags down he stepped back out and stood at the imagined line he considered to separate the kitchen from the rest of the house. Standing just outside the kitchen seemed safe and he struggled with stepping back in and putting everything in its right place. Fixing everything. Taking it over and making it right. He knew it was a neurosis of his, a tick. He knew why he did it and that it only happened when he felt out of control with his life and discontent. He knew it didn’t make total sense and he couldn’t really do anything to stop it. Except not enter the kitchen. Surrender it entirely. 

For a few minutes he watched Jason look around and start to sort things out. A few times he took a step forward to stop or fix something only to step back, hold himself back. It almost hurt to watch at first, till it did start to hurt. 

He looked away. The living room was in perfect order. He could stand to vacuum. Maybe steam clean the floor... that’s a bit much. 

He looks back in the kitchen when Jason asks his question. “W-what?” He wasn’t listening.   
~~~~  
Jason laughed, peeking his head out of the kitchen and repeated himself, “What are you in the mood for?” Jason chuckled a little more, “We need to get something in your stomach before you take the painkillers again, that is, if you need them.” Jason would rather Tim didn’t, but he’d rather the other wasn’t injured, so he’d take what he could get.  
~~~~  
Hands balled into fists to resist grabbing things and fixing them he barely registered Jason’s question, again. He nodded a moment before shaking his head ‘no’ then nodded only to huff at himself. He had no idea what he wanted. A clean kitchen? Not really. It wasn’t the kitchen he cared about. It was the need for control over his life where he had none. Jason though, Jason he cared about. 

Unballing his hands and showing them in surrender to Jason he quickly made his way to the couch and sat down. He had to think. He had to let this go. It was just a room and it could be cleaned right? Jason. Jason meant more. He could let this go. He just needed Jason to understand and he wasn’t sure how to do that.   
~~~~  
“If you want, you can go proofread the reports from last night. I don’t use spellcheck.” Jason said, half teasing, half trying to find something for Tim to occupy himself with. Of course he used spellcheck, it was too annoying to see the little red wavy lines NOT to. Jason brought out the sliced ham and eggs he might have added in some green peppers and onions, but he remembered how delicately Tim ate last night. Jason cut up the ham, scrambled the eggs in a bowl and set a pot of water out for oatmeal, just in case Tim wasn’t up to ‘real breakfast’ as Jason thought of it. He’d use cinnamon and a little of the cocoa powder in his. He could definitely eat an omelette and a bowl of oatmeal. Would orange juice be too acidic for Tim to digest? Maybe, he thought, he might want to stick with milk or water.  
~~~~  
That WAS something Tim could do. Proof read the reports and compile them. That was a great idea. It was something he could do and control. 

Goal in mind Tim got up from the couch and stood in the kitchen doorway, again without crossing into it, and looked at Jason and not the kitchen.

“The kitchen is yours. You can have it. I won't touch it.” Suddenly his mouth just didn't want to stop talking. He just had to let this out. “I hate kitchens. They’re awful. They’re never clean enough. It drives me up a wall. Sometimes I clean the kitchen all day. Once I cleaned till my hands bled and I just couldn’t stop. Its not the kitchen really. It has nothing to do with the kitchen. I know that but they’re easy to fix and control and sometimes I need that but I don’t cook because then I’d have to clean and I can't always stop. I hate when they’re a mess. It- it hurts to see it. But you’re more important and I want you to stay. So you can have the kitchen, ok?”  
~~~~  
Jason digested that as best as he could. Tim cleaning until his hands bled was a problem, not being able to go into the kitchen was another one but that wasn’t something to be tackled at the moment. After this case was shut, he decided. “Right.” Jason said, a little awkwardly from the abrupt admission, “Okay.” Jason tried to think of what to SAY to an admission like that? For the moment he wouldn’t make a big deal out of it. “Oh, I made some of my own notes on your report by the way.” Maybe he could distract Tim?  
~~~~  
“O-okay.” Tim nodded tensely. He’d said what he’d needed to say... and then some and Jason knew and understood. he took a deep breath to steady himself. “Yeah.” He felt off. A bit better for telling Jason and giving him the kitchen but still off. However, Jason was right. There were reports to be done, checked, and compiled. “Reports. Yeah.” He nodded again. “I’ll be in the base...I’ll leave the door open.” With the door closed he couldn't hear Jason and he would have to turn on the monitor and watch him which would show him the damn kitchen he couldn't handle. So the door would stay open so he could hear him and not feel closed off and alone in there.   
~~~~  
Thinking of the laptop Tim had used before in bed Jason wondered why he wouldn’t just use it out in the living area, but he didn’t say anything and let Tim have his space. The kid seemed pretty riled up about the kitchen, maybe he needed the distance right now. Jason got down to cooking, and had oatmeal and ham and cheese omelettes ready quickly enough. Eating regularly was healthy, Jason reminded himself constantly. Eating healthily was just bonus. Besides, with their overactive lifestyle, if they packed on the protein or the calories, they’d easily burn it off. Dick was CONSTANTLY eating to keep himself running at that full tilt speed he had.

Jason was only amazed that the cabinets and drawers didn’t have little sticker labels that said things like ‘silverware’ and ‘tupperware’ or ‘plates,’ but that was most likely because Tim would have the setup of the kitchen memorized. It took some rooting around, but Jason quickly got the feel for the kitchen. After all, it made sense to keep the pots and pans close to the stove, the plates and cups near the sink and the tupperware close to the fridge. Logical, neat, organized, clinical… neurotic.

Tim was showing some bad signs, signs a vigilante in the middle of a heinous gang war couldn’t afford. Signs Jason didn’t have time to help Tim FIX. They were needed now, today. They would spend the morning consolidating and refining their information, the afternoon staking out the wharfs for the latest ‘medical shipment’ coming in. Tonight, likely as not they would be trying to find contacts on either the snake heads or the fire bloods, trying to pin down this murder group. Right at the moment Jason took out a wooden tray, set plates silverware and two glasses on it and moved into the computer area.

“Breakfast, did you want water, milk, OJ?” Jason said, then looking down at his slightly cramped spread realized, “Damn, forgot napkins.”  
~~~~  
Tim may have gone to the computer to work, opened the various reports up on the different monitors, and even had a program to help compile them into one summary report but that didn't mean he got much done. He just couldn't focus much. He got up and walked to the door a few times, just to hear Jason moving around or he had the painful need to look and see how messy it was and fix it. He got himself to sit back down everytime and not fuss at Jason about cleaning, and germs and bacteria. It was something. Not much but something. 

Right before Jason asked his question, Tim had sat down again swearing he wouldn't get back up another time. Bringing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them he sat and listened to Jason while the program did its thing. He did manage to scan over Jason’s report for a moment before he’d gotten up and hadn’t noticed any errors.

“I’ll... um, try milk.” He wasn’t sure his stomach could handle much but milk would put some substance in his stomach more than water and orange juice was way too acidic to handle. “W-what did you make?” He asked keeping a tight hold on his legs.  
~~~~  
Jason looked at the stressed out former Robin and mentally patted himself on the back for making oatmeal. ‘He’ll try milk, like as though it wouldn’t agree with him.’ Jason thought worriedly, and maybe a bit bitterly. ‘Well, my stomach would revolt too if I lived on protein bars and caffeine like him.’ Jason shook his head. He’d learned from Roy the simple power of food, learned from Alfred the simple joy in making it. Tim it seemed, had only learned about how to clean up after cooking. 

“Breathe Babybird. The kitchen doesn’t exist remember?” He was and wasn’t sure what had inspired him to say THAT, but he hoped it helped, “I made vanilla cinnamon oatmeal, and ham and cheese omelettes if you’re feeling adventurous. I’ll be right back.” Jason left, poured a glass of milk and a glass of orange juice and suddenly found himself wanting Tim to be in a place where he didn’t have to wonder if he could down OJ if he wanted some.  
~~~~  
Nodding Tim took a deep breath as he was told and repeated ‘the kitchen doesn’t exist’ in his head. Surprisingly it helped a great deal. The kitchen was out of his hands and no longer his problem. Jason was more than able to handle it if the meal he was looking at was any indication. 

Oatmeal wasn’t something Tim usually ate... ever. He’d always thought it looked and smelled gross. It looked like a pile of off white watery goo. Who would want to eat that? However, Jason’s version actually looked and smelled like something he would take a risk on. It smelled sweet and had a good consistency to it. Curiosity piqued, he dipped a finger in it and taste tested it. It tasted as good as it smelled and the consistency wasn't bad. Weird like a mush or creamy mashed potatoes but good. He picked up the bowl and spoon and took a bigger bite. 

Ok yeah he could get used to eating this on a normal basis. It was good, really good. “This is good! How’d you do it?”   
~~~~  
Jason sat down, noting that Tim didn’t in fact feel adventurous today, “A pinch of vanilla extract, cinnamon sugar, half regular milk, half vanilla flavored almond milk, and an extra pad of butter mixed in once it’s served out into the bowl.” Alfred only had one food sin in Jason’s opinion. He’d served oatmeal plain. Jason had literally dragged him out to the supermarket and showed Alfred all the different flavors that oatmeal could come in and asked for some, and was given what he actually wanted in the first place, Alfred made flavored oatmeal. From there the oatmeal experimentation had begun. It didn’t seem like Tim ate oatmeal all that often, Jason made a mental note of that too. Tim seemed a bit twitchy, but not as embarrassed as Jason thought he would be once he saw what he wrote in his report last night. Jason smiled around his fork. He’d let babybird eat in peace.  
~~~~  
“I’m... impressed.” He smiled, it was small and shaky at best but it was the best he was going to manage for the moment. “It’s really good. Thank you. Where’d you learn to make it?” Conversation, it maybe a bit of a distraction but it was a working one, that and the good food.   
~~~~  
“Fiddling around with foods and flavors.” Jason said with a shrug. “Too much vanilla extract and it tastes off, all almond milk and it’s not the right flavor either, going half and half alone isn’t quite enough vanilla flavor, hence the extract, and of course JUST vanilla oatmeal is way too plain so, classic cinnamon to jazz it up without getting too outrageous. It’s also good with apple slices, raisins and stuff. Even with all that you don’t overpower the taste buds too much. Walnuts or pecans or almonds for a crunch. Let it dry and it’s practically a granola bar, just add honey to help it stick together.” Jason laughed, “Ahh, the food adventures of trial and error.”  
~~~~  
Just the thought of Jason having a food disaster in his version of an adventure made him chuckle a bit. “Fruit maybe. I like fruit. Strawberries and raspberries... berries in general would taste nice with this. There are fruit bars that are really good.” Tim shrugged. Of course they were fruit protein and granola bars but they really were good. “I hope those trial and errors didn't become too disastrous.”   
~~~~  
“There was a brief stint of bravery after finding myself the master of my own kitchen… But nothing elbow grease didn’t fix.” Jason replied easily, though he mentally added, ‘and a new microwave...’ but he didn’t think that was something to tell Tim at the moment. Alfred had said no metal in the microwave, and Jason really should have remembered, but that was neither here nor there at the moment. Jason was finished with his omelette and was working on his own smaller bowl of oatmeal. He chuckled at his own memories as he ate, deciding that they could wait until after breakfast to discuss work.  
~~~~  
Tim had almost finished his glass of milk and oatmeal and was feeling remarkably full. The warm full feeling on his stomach was odd for him and almost uncomfortable as he just wasn't used to it at all. However the food was good enough to not regret the feeling, rather he regretted the fact he couldn't finish everything. Setting down the bowl he sighed feeling a lot more comfortable and calm than he had before. “What made you try cooking?” Tim asked following Jason’s example of leaving work till after breakfast.  
~~~~  
“A love of eating.” Jason said reflexively and then realized he’d said something either extremely funny, or sad, depending how Tim took it. he didn’t want to have killed the mood.  
~~~~  
Jason’s answer was so honest he couldn’t help but laugh a little. “That was not an answer I had expected.” Tim knew he had a poor relationship with food. It was both his fault and a result of his upbringing. He wished he’d had that same love of food but somehow he just didn't.   
~~~~  
Jason smiled back, glad that Tim hadn’t latched onto the fact that for good chunks of his pre-Bruce childhood, Jason hadn’t always had food to eat. It wasn’t exactly a cheery subject, which was what he was trying to keep conversation to. “Well, good to know I can still surprise.” Jason said. “Done?” he asked, reaching for the dishes.  
~~~~  
“Yeah.” He nodded with a smile. He really wasn’t going to be able to eat another bite for a while. “Thanks Jason.” He was feeling better after having eaten and relinquished control and existence of the kitchen. He didn’t have to be concerned with something that didn't exist right? Also Jason seemed to know what he was doing, if the taste of the food was any indication.   
~~~~  
Jason collected the dishes and moved into the kitchen, he cleaned up where he could, the countertops, the dishes and silverware, but left the still hot stove and pot and pan alone for the moment, once the sink was emptied he ran the water as hot as it could go and moved the pot and pan under the tap to fill and soak in water and a little dish soap. Jason had learned his lesson about warping hot cookware with cold water. Jason ran a quick wet sponge over the stove and pronounced this kitchen cleaner than he might have left his own just after breakfast. Jason took note of the cookware and decided that they were more or less cooled enough to clean and washed both and set them on the drying rack. Looking down Jason saw that the drying rack sat above the dishwasher, and felt like a dunce. Oh well. He knew better for next time he supposed.  
~~~~  
Tim listened to the sound of running water and what was the sound of Jason cleaning. He only almost got up twice which was an improvement he guessed. The need to clean and do it himself wasn’t panic inducing urgent. He could remind himself that Jason knew what he was doing. That the kitchen was no longer his and it didn’t exist. A beeping from the computer claimed an error in his report. Confused, he clicked to it and was presented with over a page of lyrics. Lyrics from the song Jason had been singing last night. “Oh my God.” Tim almost yelled and felt his face heat up to lava standards. He didn’t... There was just no way he did that. “OH MY GOD. NO! WHAT?!” The embarrassment only got worse as he noted the eight pages of just the letter M.   
~~~~  
Jason had been coming out of the kitchen area when he heard Tim near yell, when Tim ACTUALLY yelled Jason was in full sprint, no obvious threat he could see so Jason guessed that it was an enemy only Tim could see. Instincts he hadn’t used since getting Roy clean kicked in, Jason grabbed Tim by the good shoulder, held him close and used his other hand to turn Tim’s face up to look at Jason, “Breathe Babybird. You’re alright, you with me?” Tim’s eyes seemed present, but Jason’s heart was pounding, Tim had to answer Jason before he could let himself be sure.  
~~~~  
Tim could do nothing but squeak in total embarrassment that intensified the moment Jason got there, Not even a dignified squeak, a trying to talk and too damned mortified to answer properly squeak. Jason was worried and he was having an embarrassment break down. The universe was a cruel, cruel bitch. 

“Oh my god.” Tim buried his face in his hands and just waved at the computer, wishing the floor would just swallow him whole. He was just going to go bury himself in a hole someplace he’d never be found and die there. That was just going to be it. The end of Red Robin. Death by embarrassment.   
~~~~  
Jason frowned as Tim did SEEM present, but he also was clearly freaking out about something. Jason looked at the monitor and saw the solid wall of M’s he’d watched manifest last night. He couldn’t help a little chuckle, just a little one, but he started petting Tim’s hair. “Calm down, breathe. It’s fine, you KNOW it’s fine, you were hopped up on medication, more exhausted than Rip Van Winkle” Jason couldn’t keep another chuckle from bubbling up, “and had a long ass night to boot. Look at how much work you got done. You just fell asleep at your keyboard. I was even TRYING to get you to fall asleep so you can totally blame me. This is so easily fixable, just select it and delete it all. The only ones who’ll know are you and me. Would that be okay?” Jason kept up a one sided dialogue with the curled form attempting to hide in his arms.  
~~~~  
“Oh my god.” Jason was clearly trying and failing not to laugh. Which somehow made Tim curious enough to look up wondering if it was laughing at him in mocking or more wanting to laugh with him even though Tim was clearly not laughing. The look on Jason’s face as he peeked around his hands clearly stated he wasn’t mocking him. He lowered his hands to his lap and looked back at the traitorous computer. “The M’s I can deal with... Its... its the first part... The...” He waved his hand at the computer again. It was the lyrics and what that meant. The last part of Jason’s words hit him. 

“OH GOD! Don’t tell! Don't tell Dick! Or Steph! Or Damian, just don't tell! I’ll never live this down and I really will have to find a hole to die in!” Apparently it wasn't a secret how he felt about Jason if Steph and Dick’s teasing were any indication. They’d stopped teasing a long time ago but they still knew. Tim just couldn’t handle the lectures he’d get if they knew Jason was living with him. The whole thing would be a disaster. One that Tim really couldn’t handle. “Promise?”   
~~~~  
“No dying.” Jason said, continuing to pet Tim’s hair gently, “ As it is, I’ve already done more than enough dying for the both of us. Besides it’s not fun.” Jason had a brief memory of great throbbing pain, heat and light and more pain, than nothingness, “I won’t tell, but me and Babs have been emailing and I think she mighta gotten a hold of your report on her own.” Instinct had Jason giving Tim’s hair a kiss, the way no one had ever bothered to kiss Jason’s hair. “Babs likely won’t even talk about it to anyone, but I promise it stays between us. Just breathe Babybird, ‘kay?”

He wanted to be better for the sake of Tim. Objectively that was strange, considering how many times he nearly killed the younger boy. He was trying and so was Tim, and he was tired of being the prodigal son. He wondered if Tim felt similarly.  
~~~~  
‘Babs knew? She’s in my system now. Thats cheating...’ Tim’s mind stopped yelling about reports and Barbara using Jason to cheat her way into his system the moment Jason’s lips touched his head. Tim’s blush of embarrassment went from horror to gushy. Jason’s action was so sweet and calming it went a lot further than reassurances, though those helped a lot. 

“Ok.” He nodded slowly. ‘Jason promised... and sweetly kissed his head. He could handle this.’ Tim looked at the computer and begrudgingly chuckled and groaned, as it was a little amusing. “God there’s so many lyrics... and all those M’s. How many pages is that?” He shook his head amused. “I guess its obvious...”  
~~~~  
“You can delete it if it bothers you.” Jason suggested, pulling away and marveling at how fast Tim had calmed down. And the exact moment when he had calmed down. Well geez, that didn’t COMPLICATE things or anything. So the Babybird was still nursing that crush on him. How hadn’t he killed off that affection during the period of time he was trying to kill Tim? “We need to do some serious consolidation on our cases anyways.” Jason continued, giving Tim the excuse to work instead deal with the crush that was probably more of a good solid affection if it had survived a few attempted murders.  
~~~~  
Tim wasn't sure how he felt about deleting it totally. Saving it to his personal file on his computer wasn’t an option for long either. It would have to go into the stash. The secret stash of thing’s he’s had since he was a kid. The pictures, news articles, event posters and reports he’d compiled over his lifetime, the things he protected and kept safe from everyone. One handed Tim typed in a code and the document was saved in a locked file and sent to another screen. Pulling up both reports he looked at Jason. “You’re right. We should go over this.”


	18. Phone Calls

Compiling the correct information, fixing the report, and making a plan took a few hours and an amount of arguing, mostly about Tim not being allowed on a stakeout of all things, but eventually Jason gave him enough reasons and work to do at the base for Tim to let it go. A bit huffy Tim gave a quick run down of the information.

“Serpientes Cabeza, Bertinelli and marbee’s group finds and kidnaps the kids, weapons, drugs, etc and/or sells overseas product. Nancy was working with Hamilton’s group who transports the products. Jan and Josie Argon’s group sells the kids and products overseas. Andrew was a cop but undercover as a high up in Bertinelli’s group working closely with Hamilton and Argon. 

Sangre Fuego, is the rival gang that may have hired a third party to kill with the members of the Serpientes Cabeza to allegedly gain control of the land and products. Finding this out, according to Tiff, the Serpientes Cabeza kidnap the leader of Sangre Fuego to put a stop to the cutting in and turf war that they’re starting. However, the members of the Serpientes Cabeza are still being killed off by this third party who may be getting their drugs shipped to them which is why you’re now sitting at the docks on stake out and I’m sitting at base twiddling my thumbs.”  
~~~~  
“The twiddling of your fingers should be put to use in typing Babybird.” Jason teased. watching dock workers was boring on the whole, but with the neat toys that came with the vigilante job, one could read packaging labels on shipping containers. Jason zoomed in on one box after another before he found the label he was looking for. “Medical Supplies,” and “Brugmansia,” Jason grinned. There was their evidence.

“These sneaky bastards. Right in broad daylight on respectable ships with proper shipping requirements and EVERYTHING.”   
~~~~  
“I AM typing.” Tim... not pouted. Bats don't pout. He brought up all the shipping information. Everything was remarkably in order. They had nothing they could use. “We need some kind of proof of illegal use. The pick up date isn't till the day after tomorrow, Thursday evening. The product... kids... are to be shipped out Friday morning from Tiff’s info. That doesn’t give us much time.”  
~~~~  
“No, but I do love stopping human traffickers.” Jason said brightly. Child traffickers, Jason thought, gripping the high tech binoculars tightly. Child traffickers who sold kids into slavery, child armies, and red light districts or so the rumors said. The worst fates any child could face, death by hard labor, death by violence, and death by an inch at a time. There was a creak and Jason deliberately loosened his grip before he broke Tim’s binoculars. “Be a good two bird’s one stone kinda night. I’m going to go tag our cargo with some tracers, lunch is soon and I won’t get a better chance.”

Jason said as he stowed the equipment in a worn looking rucksack, he was in plain clothes of deliberately bland colors, and had given himself scraggly sandy brown hair under a beanie and freckles for the occasion. He waited until the area more or less cleared before grabbing a modified staple gun and tagged every box, just in case. Jason had learned his lesson for tagging multiple boxes when a shipment of coke he’d tried to use to find the dealer’s drug hole and bring down their entire operation led to a months long game of catchup when he’d realized that the dealer didn’t have one distribution point, but several. If this shipment split, even just a box, they’d know.  
~~~~  
“Keep me posted.” Tim said as he watched the tracers come online. Long range was the only way to go these days. 

Tim muted his mic with Jason as another call came in. It was Bruces private line. He took a second to wonder what he could possibly be calling about before he answered. “Red Robin here.”

“The line is secure Tim.” Bruces deep voice came through the line.

“Ok... What do you need?” He kept his voice even and the suspicion out of it.

“For you to stay at home.”

“I AM!” Tim allowed his annoyance to show through. “I’ve been home most of the day.”

“I meant for the Gala tonight, Tim.” If Tim cared to listen he may have heard Bruce sound a tad softer but as it was Tim was appalled and pissed.

“What? No. I spent MONTHS putting this together! This is MY event! You can’t bench me on this! Bruce!” Tim growled through the line.

“I just did.” Then the line went dead. The man had hung up on him. Tim was seeing red. He stood despite the pain and started to pace angrily around the room. The event was a project he’d built from scratch. It was his and something he’d worked for over a year to bring together. Now, he was shut out of his own Gala and project. Tim wanted to scream or punch something, something... anything, but he stopped pacing instead. The sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach was back. He wasn’t even needed for his own project, and it hurt.   
~~~~  
Jason was walking with purposed casualness to his motorcycle when his cellphone rang, “Pietro’s Patzo Pizza, prices so good you must think we’re crazy, can I take your order?” Jason only looked at his phone’s caller ID as an afterthought. Bruce. Jason winced, that wasn’t very professional. Maybe he could play it off as a security protocol just in case someone unsavory got a hold of his number?  
~~~~  
Bruce was silent for a solid minute as he pinched the bridge of his nose. What was it with his children and not answering the phone properly? The only one who ever did was Tim. He sighed. “Jay. There’s a function tonight and I would like you to attend.”  
~~~~  
Jason winced harder at the silence, cursing himself internally at his stupid impulse. The mention of a function was something that gave him hope though. Jason had just brought in one of his brothers back home bloody, but Bruce was asking him to attend a function. “What’s the mission? How am I going in? Waiter, security?”  
~~~~  
“Yourself.” Bruce stated. He was a bit nervous about asking this of Jason. They’d only talked about it a few times in the past. Of Jason coming back to the family publicly. Bruce already had a story lined up and everything but it was still up to Jason to agree to come back. To come home. “Introduce you as coming... back.” He’s almost said home but he really wasn’t sure how Jason would react to that.  
~~~~  
Jason almost overbalanced slinging a leg over his bike. “Wh-whoa, Bruce!” Jason said, sitting on his bike. “I-I’m going to switch to my bluetooth, jus-just give me a sec.” Jason fumbled for the little earpiece and stuck it on his ear as he shoved his helmet over his head. It had taken tinkering to create a bluetooth receptive mic attachment for the inside of his bike helmet but it was endlessly easier to communicate while riding. “This… This is short notice. I mean, I want to come back. I really do.”

It was just that being dead was so EASY. All he had to do is not look like himself and just go out as a nameless face in the crowd. Being young adult Jason Todd when people hadn’t seen him publicly since he was a teenager was like being no one. He didn’t have to deal with reporters, cover stories for his antics, he didn’t have to worry about splitting his time between the job and his time in the public eye. 

But it was also lonely. And he did want to come back to the family. Wanted to be able to point for the world to see at his family. Bruce, Tim, Dick, Alfred, even Damian, when the kid was not attempting to kill him with looks. Jason had put himself on the outside, he’d been kept there by Bruce. Now they were getting back on common ground again, largely because of Tim, and this was his chance to be publicly reclaimed by Bruce as his son.

Tim...  
~~~~  
Bruce made a noncommittal hum as he waited for Jason to get his earpiece in and listened quietly. “I understand if its too soon for you... I... I could really use you there Jason.” Out of the dark Alfred coughs meaningfully and Bruce pointedly doesn’t glare. He’s making an effort here. “You’ve done well and... I believe it’s time you came back.” He could see the approving nod Alfred gave but would never admit to.  
~~~~  
“Wait, IS this mission related?” Jason asked, kicking his bike into life, “Because as myself I’m going to be the tootsie filling in a tootise pop of reporters. Unless I’m the distraction, which in that case I’m a damn good one.” Jason thought aloud. “I’m sorry, I’m just… Thank you, you know, for bringing me back into the fold.” ‘And in from the cold.’ Jason didn’t say.  
~~~~  
“There’s nothing to thank, Jason. I’m glad you’re coming back.” Bruce answered with a small grin. Jason was accepting and Bruce was beyond happy about it. “It’s family related which is why I thought it would be a good event to bring you in on. Its black tie...” Another cough from Alfred. “Alfred has a suit ready for you. See you tonight.”  
~~~~  
Jason winced again, “You HAD to go straight for the black and white straight jacket, didn’t you Bruce?” Jason said with affectionate teasing. He felt good, Bruce was officially letting him back into the family, he felt comfortable enough to joke with Bruce, the case he was working on with Tim was FINALLY starting to look up. It was all starting to look up. “Fine, but tell Alfred I want a colored tie with a design on it. Do you still have my navy blue one with the red bird on it? I want to be known as the kind of man who they can’t leech the color from right off the bat.” Jason leaned into a turn, deliberately not far down enough to scrape his knee on the pavement. No scrap evidence of his activities that way. “And you should wear a colored pocket kerchief just so I’m not all on my lonesome. Not outrightly mocking the ‘black tie’ in black tie event, but supporting me and complimenting me.” Jason laughed, “Not that Alfred won’t think of that himself. I learned that kind of thing from him after all.”  
~~~~  
Bruce chuckled even as Alfred nodded. “He’ll see to it we make a fitting statement I’m sure.” He eyed Alfred just as he could feel Alfred eyeing him and for once turned away first feeling like the child he was to the man. Bruce switched gears to a more serious attitude as an alarm on the console went off complaining of a disturbance in Arkham. Time to be the Bat. 

“Speak with Tim for the details on the event and remind him he’s been benched, as an order, till that GSW heals. He’ll catch you up to speed on the project. B out” He quickly hung up and left to suit up.   
~~~~  
“Thanks Bruce, nice talking to you, Love you too, yeah, you be safe too out there. Alright Bye.” Jason said wanting to roll his eyes at Bruce’s typical callous antics. What did it say about their relationship that Jason didn’t even feel slightly snubbed with the abrupt end to their conversation? Jason stopped at a red light and engaged tim’s frequency through his cellphone.  
~~~~  
With the whirling emotions Tim was experiencing it took a long moment for him to notice the line tone was ringing in his ear and another long moment to get himself under control enough to answer. 

“Red Robin” Tim answered a blankly as he could manage. His voice came out better than he’d expected.   
~~~~  
“Hey Red, you doing okay? Took you a minute to answer.” Jason asked, a little concerned. The light turned green and Jason started moving again. “I’m heading back to base. How are you doing?”  
~~~~  
“I’m fine.” Tim swallowed back the anger and hurt feelings. He didn’t need to take it out on Jason. It wasn’t Jason’s fault, it was Tim’s. He needed to be better than this and he knew it. “What’s the status?” 

‘Mission. Think of the mission. Get it together and get it done.’ He told himself.   
~~~~  
“All the tracers are set, I’m 95% sure no one saw me, which no, isn’t 100 but it’s still a solid A so I think we’re good.” Jason said, “ETA 5 minutes. Oh, and I’ve got to go to a thing tonight.”  
~~~~  
Tim stomped over to the computer and activated the tracers, checking them. “They’re all online.” Turning away from the console he leaned against the desk. He stifled a sigh. “A ‘thing’? What kind of thing?”  
~~~~  
“Some Gala thing, Black suit and tie.” Jason said, letting his derision sound plain how he felt about these stuffy events. “Bruce just popped in to spring the news that he’s using THIS event to intro me back into the family publicly. He even had more than his usual amount of decorum and consideration, which is next to none. He said you’d have any details I’d need because something Batty popped up and he had to go. So actually I should be asking you what kind of a thing is this that I’m even going to?”  
~~~~  
Tim covered his mouth just barely quick enough to keep in the indignant scream. This was... pain. pure anger and hurt and it was all directed at Bruce. How could he do that? Take Tim’s project away from him like that. Rip it away and make this into something it isn't. It hurt. Tim wanted to yell and scream at the top of his lungs about the unfairness of it all. 

‘Really though, you expected anything less?’ His mind supplied ‘You don't belong in this family. You never did. You we’re just a placeholder till the real son came back. Great job, Tim. You brought him home and they don’t need or want you anymore, and when Jason leaves you’ll only have yourself to blame.’

“I...” Tim cleared his throat against the lump trying to choke him to death. The lump didn’t move much except to make the horrid pain in his chest tighter. “I’ll give you the details.” The effort to speak as evenly as he could was making him tear up. ‘Yeah keep telling yourself that.’   
~~~~  
“Hey, are you in pain? Take the painkillers if it hurts that bad Tim, I’ll be there in a minute. Maybe you should lie down?” Jason asked, worry staining his voice now. “If you need me I can tell Bruce that it’s too short notice and we can put me out in society some other time.”  
~~~~  
"I'm fine. No you-you have to go... To the event... Tonight." Tim could suck it up. This was big for Jason and even if this was Tim's event that meant a lot to him this was bigger. This was Jason coming back to the family. This was something he worked for, for longer than this gala. That meant more than the months it took to put this together. 

Here Tim was having a ‘why me’ moment when Jason was getting something he’s needed for years and on top of that, worrying about Tim of all people. "Just... Promise you'll go?" It still hurt. His chest still felt like he was drowning and the black hole in the floor was doing its level best to suck him. All the movement had his side inflamed and dripping blood, though no stitch has been popped yet. The headache was pounding away and Tim wasn’t sure if the nausea was from the physical pain or emotional one but of all that he needed Jason to do this. Be welcomed back. Take his rightful place in the family. That was his mission as well. To make sure Jason was welcomed back. “Promise?”  
~~~~  
There was a part of Jason that wanted to beat his head against his handle bars, but he answered, “Alright, ALRIGHT! I promise I’ll go and wear the penguin suit and be paparazzi bait if it means so much to everyone.” Jason pulled up to the garage door, “I think you’re going to have to buzz me in.” Jason said, letting his bike lean as he put one foot down, waiting to be let inside. “You hungry?”  
~~~~  
Tim buzzed Jason in without a word till the door was open. Still speaking over the comm he asked quietly. “It means a lot to you too, right?” Why wouldn’t it mean a lot to Jason to come back into the family? 

But... what if it didn't? Then what was Tim pushing this for? If Jason didn't want to be part of the family what did he want? Tim swore that coming back to the family was something Jason both wanted and needed. Was he wrong?  
~~~~  
“ ‘Course it means a lot to me, but I’m just sorta not nearly as picky about this particular event.” Jason assured Tim, pulling into the area of Tim’s base that served as the garage. “Personally I’d have prefered a day event business casual so I wouldn’t have to be in a suit maybe a picnic or something for a program supporting families or something. I don’t even know where I’m going and what I’m being preened up for.” Jason took off his helmet and switched to his phone, “I’m heading up to where you are. Should I grab us some food first or do you wanna brief me on the event I’m going to be attending first?”  
~~~~  
“This event IS about family’s and more about kids.” Tim insisted almost angry again before shoving the anger down once more. He sighed and sat down heavily in the chair he’s abandoned earlier.

“Maybe just something light for me. I’m not feeling very hungry. I’ll explain everything when you get up here.” With that Tim hung up knowing Jason would be in any second. He pulled up the program, info, and calendar for the event on the monitors. Staring at all that hard work and planning. It was his baby. It was going to change Gotham for everyone. Make it better... and he was locked out.


End file.
